Once Upon a Wish
by ChristinaFay
Summary: Hermione would never forgive herself for not telling him how much she loved him. Now that he was gone, all she could wish for was to see him one more time. Eventually a love story, but also a lot more to it than two people's fate!
1. Chapter 1 Owl Service

**_Don't get me wrong, I love Tonks' character… but I love Remus more. I consider Hermione a better match for him. Although I agree, twenty years a part is a bit much. But… there is a will there is a way, especially when it comes to the smartest witch of her age!_**

**_Standard disclosure... don't own anything. And I always appreciate your reviews!_**

**Once Upon a Wish**

**Chapter One - Owl Service**

_**October 12, 1982 Remus Lupin**_

"Sorry Lupin. I can't keep you here any longer. The owner of the store didn't want the customers to know that we have a…" Wilson, a gray-haired wizard in charge of Dogweek and Deathcap, suddenly found his words caught in mid-sentence. "It doesn't matter. I understand… can't have a werewolf in the storage room." Remus Lupin picked up his jacket and walked out of the store, without a single backward glance. "Good luck mate!" He heard Wilson's voice shouting from behind as the older wizard closed down the store for the night. "Yeah right, all I need is luck I guess." He murmured to himself and started wondering down the village road in Hogsmeade.

The war had been over for almost a year. People in the street were getting ready for the grand celebration at the end of the month. For Remus Lupin however, the end of the war had not made anything better. The war took away all of his closest friends, whom he had considered his family since the passing of his parents. Yes, the war took them all… three died, James, Lily, and Peter. And Sirius, one of the few that he trusted so much, turned out to have betrayed them after all. The wizardry world did not forgive Remus for being a werewolf, no matter how much he had lost in the war. He was getting tired of sending out job applications again and again, only to be turned down again and again because of his "health conditions", as they always put it politely. Even with the support of some high profile references, such as the one Dumbledore had given him for the storage labor position at Dogweek and Deathcap, the jobs usually couldn't last longer than a couple of full-moons.

As he walked by the winding road leading to the Shrieking Shack, he remembered his friends again. He had never felt so alone in his life. Sitting down on a bolder by the road, Remus looked up at the darkening sky, and saw the first star shining brightly in the eastern heavens. "If I could only wish… maybe someday I could find someone who would accept me, care for me, and," he chuckled lightly and shook his head, "love me for what I am." He said quietly to himself. And quickly laughed at his own immaturity, and felt a sense of relief that there was no one around to hear his pathetic plea. Little did he know, a snow owl, with feathers gleaming in the twilight, was paying very close attention in a big oak tree not very far from him….

_**October 12, 2002, Hermione Granger**_

Hermione Granger was early for the gathering with her old friends from the Hogwarts days on this Saturday night. In fact, it was barely evening. As she wondered around Hogsmeade, she slowly pulled her mind away from those endless reports and meetings that she had to deal with all week at work. Taking deep breaths of the autumn air, her mind began to wonder.

The war had ended for over three years. Everyone's life had been back to normal. Harry and Ginny were now happily married. Ron and Lavender were recently engaged. The greeting cards from Luna and Neville last Christmas brought only happy news. As for herself, Hermione had finally started to see her career taking off at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. As Harry and Ron had put it, this was the "dream job" that would "soon helped Hermioe accomplish her mission to save the wizard world from inequality". Although she did not appreciate the teasing, Hermione had to admit that Harry and Ron knew her well. She was fortunate to be able to start her bright future for something that she had always been passionate about.

However, Hermione was not happy. In fact, she had been miserable. The end of the war did not happen soon enough. Not soon enough to give her one more chance to be with him alone. He died, without her by his side, without hearing her declaration of her love for him, without even having the opportunity to decline her love.

It started all as a little crush from a school girl towards her professor, the beloved Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, the one and only Remus Lupin. Hermione had long reasoned that out and laughed it off when her roommates brought that up during the later years at Hogwarts. However, things began to change when they met again and fought together in the war. The time they spent together, either with their intellectual discussions or small talks on a walk, brought her to a different man. He was a man who was intelligent, understanding, gentle, yet determined. She had fallen madly in love with him, but too afraid to see her love rejected. He was a decent gentleman. She knew what he would say to turn her down. So she waited and waited for the right moment to come. But it never did. He left, forever, and didn't even give her love a chance to be denied.

Feeling the stinging sensation in her eyes, Hermione absent mindedly pulled out a golden locket from her pocket as she came upon a grassy area. She sat down next to a big oak tree, running her fingers around her little secret creation. It was a little hourglass surrounded by several golden rings. Indeed, it was a time turner made by her own hands. She had been thinking about it soon after learning his death. All she wanted to do was to go back a little in time. She had to tell him. She had to see him, even if he would reject her feelings and never speak to her ever again. She told Harry about her plan about a quick trip to the past when she first began contemplating the idea. He immediately warned her that she should not be playing with time. "Too many things could go wrong." He said. The rational part of Hermioe completely agreed with him. However, every time when she woke up in the middle of the night, with tears soaking her pillow, emotions took over. Since all the time turners were destroyed during the war, Hermione made her own. "This would be better," she said to herself, "I can make it to cover a longer period of time, and will never need to follow any regulations." She smiled at her own rebellious plans. Well, after all, there was a reason why she was a Grynffindor and not a Ravenclaw.

As she finally completed her little project, she decided to show her best friends her secret. Or should she? She had told Harry and Ron that she had something to show them tonight. However as the sun slowly sinking in the west she began to doubt her decision. What would they say? Would they both be so rational and scold her for her plans? After all, they didn't really know the true reasons for her idea for the adventure. She had been keeping her feelings for Remus all to herself. So what would she say if Harry and Ron tried to convince her to give it up? She looked at the golden locket in her hand, frowning. "Well, I would say, it would be very important for me to set one little thing straight. And I would come right back. And no one would even notice it." she began thinking out loud, not paying any attention as her fingers began turning the golden rings around the tiny hourglass.

As she looked up in the sky, she saw the brightest star looking down at her. How many times had she wished upon its silvery light, she could not recall. She laid down in the grass, slowly closing her eyes, her lips barely moving, "I wish he would come back to me." It was a warm autumn night. The mild breeze was perfect for the hard-working Hermione to get a moment of quietness. As she slowly drifted into a shallow sleep, a big white owl swooshed down next to her, and as Hermione's eyes shot open, the locket was gone!


	2. Chapter 2 A Trip to the Future

**Chapter Two - A Trip to the Future**

_**Remus Lupin**_

As the last ray of sunlight finally disappeared, Remus Lupin got back on his feet to get ready for home.

"What's the difference," he thought to himself, "there is nothing waiting for me at home anyway." Just as he was about to apparate, a white owl landed suddenly on his right shoulder, nibbling his ear affectionately.

"You have something for me? At this hour?" Remus was surprised. He wasn't expecting any mail. He gently moved the owl from his shoulder to his left hand. In the deemed light from the distant street lamps, he saw a dangling golden locket glowing mysteriously from the owl's beak.

"What is this? Who is this from?" He searched the owl's talons for a note, but found nothing. The beautiful creature dropped the locket in his hand, hooted gently before taking off into the darkened sky.

Looking at the locket curiously, Remus ran his fingers down one of its golden rings. Suddenly the ring spun into action. Immediately, all of the others started turning simultaneously. Remus felt the world around him began to swirl wildly. He was sure he was going to fall. After what felt like a whole minute, everything came back to focus as he finally found his feet standing solidly on the ground again.

"That was weird." He rubbed his temple slowly, wondering if it was a dizzy fit lingered from the last full moon. "Or maybe it was just another day of bad luck." He shook his head, put the locket in his pocket, and disapparated with a quiet pop.

He soon realized he didn't leave his "bad luck" behind in the village. As Remus apparated in front of his house, he found nothing but a boarded up old building. The grass and weeds around the house were as tall as Remus himself. And the house… the house? What a depressing sight! The little country cottage looked as if no one had lived there for years. The paint on the wall had deteriorated terribly. The shabby looking roof had at least a couple of big wholes visible from the distance.

"What the…" Remus frowned at the unbelievable sight and pulled out his wand, "Could this be a prank?"

After walking around the place for a few more minutes and checking for various spells, Remus realized the present state of the building could not be the doing of any charms or curses. Only time could have put on such wear and tear. This was the house that he had just left it this morning! Finding no solutions to this bizarre situation, Remus contemplated his options, which were not very many. He could pay a visit to Dumbledore, although he felt that he had already bothered the headmaster for too many times lately. Or he could try to reach out to some Order members from the old days, but at this hour? Finally Remus decided his only choice was to go back to Hogsmeade. At least he could go wait at the Three Broomsticks bar until the morning.

As he apparated in front of Dogweek and Deathcap, Remus realized the situation might be a bit more complicated than dealing with a run-down house sitting on his property. As he walked around the cobble stone road, he began to notice the strange appearances of the stores – even in the moonlight, he could tell that they were not how he remembered them from that same morning. The store front of Dogweeka and Deathcap was completely redone. The golden logo of the store was setting against a brightly painted wooden wall that Remus didn't remembered seeing there before. Several new stores seemed to have come out from nowhere. As he walked by Tomes and Scrolls, Remus Lupin found the answer the he was searching for.

Setting neatly outside the store front was the last few remainders of a stack of the day's Daily Prophet. Even from a distance, Remus could see the large print of a front page article, _**"Are you Ready for the 2002 Halloween Fashion?"** _2002! Remus' eyes widened. He walked a bit closer to look at the date on the paper. Staring right back at him, were the little black prints, _**Saturday, October 12, 2002.**_

He felt as if his head was swimming in the cloud. Very slowly, Remus began to understand. Somehow, he had travel 20 years into the future.

A booming voice coming from the store brought him back to his senses. "Sorry mate, closing time. Come back tomorrow will ya?" A young wizard apologized half-heartedly as he closed the door of the book store in front of Remus. Nodding quietly, Remus started walking towards Three Broomsticks.

This could be really bad, he thought to himself. He didn't have many friends 20 years ago, probably shouldn't expect any here now that he was in 2002!

To his partial relieve he found Three Broomsticks still at the same place he had always remembered. It was not too busy on this particular Saturday night. Remus found a seat by the window close to the door. After ordering a sandwich and a butterbeer, he grabbed a copy of the paper from the bar and hoped to get his bearings soon in this strange world.

Not too far from him, a group of young wizards just about his age were chatting happily with each other. They took turn rising from their seats, looking towards the front door eagerly, as if they were waiting for someone to join them.

_**Hermione Granger**_

Hermione cursed herself again and again for her own carelessness. How could she lose it like that! And where did that darn owl come from! She searched the trees and lawn again and again for the little gadget. But it simply vanished, together with the owl.

Frustrated, she realized it was now passing the time when she was supposed to meet up with Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Lavender. "Ugh! What a terrible day!" she let out a sigh, and started running towards the familiar pub. In her hurry she didn't seem to notice the absence of the impressive giant head atop Zonko's Joke Shop under new management as she made around the street corner.

"Over here Hermione!" She was greeted by the familiar yelp as soon as she stepped into Three Broomsticks. It was never hard to spot the Weasley redheads. Seeing her old friends always brightened her days.

Harry scooted closer towards Ginny so Hermione could sit right next to him. "You are late!" he said, "Where have you been?"

"I… lost track of time." Hermione shrugged.

"You work too much!" Harry said as he handed her a butterbeer.

"So where is the THING you are going to show us tonight Hermione?" Ron got up slightly from his seat looking around Hermione.

"I don't have it.… er… I misplaced it." Hermione's enthusiasm about her whole project had disappeared with the locket itself. She began to dread about how she would explain the whole situation to her friends.

"Oh you have been working WAY too much and WAY too hard Hermione! You lost track of time, and you misplaced the THING!" Ron reached over and padded her head teasingly, "you've got to take a break some time you know. Or next time you might lose your mind!"

"Leave her alone Ron," Harry shot Ron a quick glance as he noticed Hermione suddenly looked a bit pale.

"That's right, leave her alone brother." Ginny chimed in, "Hey guess what guys… we have an announcement to make." She immediately got everyone's attention.

"We are going to be parents!" Ginny squeaked with great excitement.

There was a very brief silence before Lavender screamed with joy and leaped over the table to give Ginny a hug. Hermione and Ron smiled widely at Ginny and Harry and congratulated them each with big hugs. Harry's face was turning pink but there was no way he could hide his pride.

The rest of the dinner was all about the future of the Potter baby. Although neither Hermione nor Lavender had any first-hand experience in handling babies, the girls seemed to know everything that would be needed in preparation for the new addition. Ron couldn't help by smirking at Harry as he noticed Harry's face turning from pink to slightly pale as the to-do list grew longer and longer. Ginny on the other hand, enthusiastically wrote down everything that Hermione and Lavender could think of on a long piece of parchment.

It was the first time in history that Ginny didn't want to stay for desert. "We haven't told mum yet." She said. "But now that the cat is out of the bag, I think we can go pay her a visit tonight!"

"Tonight?" Harry looked at her surprisingly.

"Yes tonight! I won't be able to sleep if I don't tell her right this minute! Come on! And we have shopping to do tomorrow!"

Harry smiled sheepishly as he got up from the table. "Get some rest Hermione. Oh and good luck on Monday!" He said to Hermione as he followed his happy wife out of the restaurant.

"Blimey! I hope Ginny won't turn into mum after she gets her baby." Ron murmured.

Hermione sent Lavender a meaningful wink as they both turned and smiled at Ron.

"What? Oh don't even think about it." Ron looked at Lavender's mischievous eyes, "I will never, I repeat, never, let you boss me around like that!"

His declaration only earned him a great laugh from his fiancé and his best friend.

As Ron walked over to the bar under the order of the ladies to fetch some ice cream, Hermione spotted a strange but familiar silhouette by the window. She blinked hard and shook her head slightly. Could that really be… no, that would not be possible.

The wizard sitting next to the window looked unbelievably familiar. Remus?

It was not Ron but Lavender who first noticed Hermione's distraction. After seeing Hermione's careful glances towards the young lad sitting by the window, Lavender quickly began to elbow Ron to signal their exit.

"But Hermione is still working on her ice cream. We can't leave her here by herself!" Ron protested as he tried to signal the bar tender for another butterbeer.

"She is single and she should be left alone." Lavender whispered hard into Ron's ears. "And if you hurry up, there are other things we can do at home…."

Hermione watch in amusement as Ron's ears turned scarlet as Lavender continued whispering to him. She had to laugh as Ron suddenly got up and almost stumbled when Lavender gave him a quick push.

"We will catch up with you soon, Hermione!" Ron almost had to yell as Lavender dragged him out of the front door.

Hermione smiled and shook her head. "Oh those two love birds," she sighed. As she looked up from her ice cream cup, she found the wizard sitting by the window looking right back at her. She couldn't tell his expressions in the deemed lights. But she noticed he quickly turned and looked back down at the paper in front of him.

_**Remus Lupin**_

As Remus flipped through the Daily Prophet he could not help but noticing how different things were in 2002.

_**Are You Ready for the 2002 Halloween Fashion?**_

_What will you be this year? Will you dress up as a house-elf, a giant, or a werewolf? The new trend for this year's Halloween fashion is to celebrate one of the once looked down upon magical creatures. Andrea Petit, expert from the European Fashion Authority, had given the full credit of this year's creative designs to the recent social movement in the British wizardry community._

_Indeed, all attention had been focusing on the upcoming hearing on Monday regarding the proposal of reversing all discriminatory regulations towards magical creatures. The proposal was originally drafted and submitted by Hermione Granger, a junior staff member at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. It wasn't until recently that the idea picked up momentum among the young witches and wizards in the community. The detail of the proposal is currently unclear to the public. Therefore the Daily Prophet correspondent is not yet able to predict the outcome of the hearing. Stay tuned and make sure you have the Tuesday copy with further details!_

_Special orders for the 2002 Halloween fashion line can be made by contacting Madame Petit through owl post, Floo Network, or in-person visit at her boutique store in Diagon Alley._

Even in his wildest dreams Remus would not think of being a werewolf could be fashionable. In his opinion, people in 2002 were either lunatics or were blinded by some convincing veela disguising as a fashion expert. But Remus had to admit, he liked what he read.

As the night went on he noticed the chatty crowd in the other corner of the restaurant started to quiet down. He didn't pay much attention until he noticed a girl from the group kept looking at him.

He never liked attention from strangers. It alarmed him even more since he now was in a strange world. He looked up briefly as the last couple in the group left the table, but was not prepared to meet her eyes. He quickly looked down and continued to pretend reading the paper, although through the corner of his eye he was watching her. He was becoming more and more uncomfortable as he realized she was indeed watching him!

Remus finally decided to get out of there. He got up slowly and made his way to the bar. As he paid his bill he glanced back casually towards the girl. He did not like it when he saw her still watching him. He walked out of the restaurant, looking frequently over his shoulders.

Almost to his distraught, she was definitely following him! Carefully pulling his wand out of his pocket, he walked into a narrow alley way and hid in the shadows.

Just as he expected, she was not far behind. A couple minutes later she emerged into the alley way, looking around, searching. This was the opportunity Remus was waiting for. He jumped out of the shadows right in front of her, pushed her against the wall, wand in his hand, pointed right at her, "why are you following me!" He shouted.

She was obviously startled by Remus' sudden appearance. But as she caught her breaths, she looked at Remus with a strange expression. The twinkle in her eyes confused him.

"Is that really you?" she reached for his face. By instinct Remus moved back to avoid her touch. "Remus?" she asked in a quiet voice. Her lips slowly twitched into a smile.

He was utterly surprised to hear his own name coming out of her mouth. "Who are you?" He frowned at the young witch who now was beaming at him and slowly lost his grip on her jacket.

He noticed her smile frozen for a few seconds. Just as he almost thought she would never say another word, she blinked and answered, "I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger."


	3. Chapter 3 The Stranger

**Chapter Three - The Stranger**

The name sounded familiar… where had he seen it. Right, wasn't she the junior staff mentioned in the paper? Remus looked at Hermione skeptically, "You are the witch they mentioned in the paper…. Do I know you?"

Hermione looked at Remus searchingly, brows twisted. Her brain was working hard trying to work out the mystery. She knew the only reason Remus could reappear in this world was because of some kind of time traveling magic. Could it be her time turner? But how did it get to him? As she looked at the man in front of her, she saw a much younger Remus Lupin she had never met in her life time. His face was handsome and youthful without the premature lines. He had the same light brown hair, but without the greying that she was used to seeing.

"I'm asking… do I know you?" Remus' quiet inquiry brought Hermione back from her deep thoughts.

"Er… that… depends." She started pacing along the alley way. "How old are you?" She suddenly turned around to face him, watching him curiously.

"How would that matter? But if you must know… I'm twenty-two." Remus looked completely perplexed.

"It went back too far…." Hermione murmured quietly, turned around, and began pacing again.

"What went back too far?" Remus caught up with her, determined to get to the bottom of this.

"Did you use a time turner to come here? I mean coming to today? I mean time traveling to 2002?"

Remus' eyes widened and he looked at the young witch in disbelief. "A time turner? Is that what this is?" he pulled the golden locket out of his pocket.

Staring at the tiny hour glass gleaming in the street lights, Hermione could see the magic sand floating calmly in the chamber. She nodded quietly and asked, "how did you get it?"

"A snow owl delivered it to me," Remus answered, "but it didn't come with a note. Did you send it to me?"

"No… I mean… yes." Hermione's face suddenly felt quiet warm. "But I didn't send the owl if that's what you meant." Desperate to hide her emotions Hermione cleared her throat and turned her back to Remus.

"What did you do then?" Remus asked gently.

That did it. He sounded just the same as she remembered. She took a deep breath, hoping the evening breeze could quickly dry the tears circling in her eyes. "I made a wish to see you again." She tried to hold her voice steady.

"See me? Again? Why?" Remus did not understand.

"You are… you were… my… friend." Hermione was screaming inside. She needed to pull herself together, fast!

"Well?" Remus said in an encouraging tone.

This was not how she had planned to travel back in time and confess her love for him. In fact she hadn't even had a chance to start her detail planning about this time traveling adventure. And for Merlin's sake, Hermione always planned first!

She was at a loss of words now that a different version of him suddenly appeared in front of her. He was Remus Lupin. That was definitely true. But he didn't know her. And as sad as she felt, she had to admit that she didn't know the young wizard standing in front of her either. It just didn't feel right. So what is she going to tell him? She wished to see him because...

"I wished to see you because... We are... I mean we were friends and I wanted your input on the proposal that you read about in the paper." she lied. "But I never meant for the time turner to go back that far." she added hastily. That later part was true.

"Why wouldn't you just go find me then... I mean in this world, your world? I'm sure I wouldn't refuse to help on that project, if it is the one that I read about. Why didn't you sent me a note, or use the floo? Why did you have to use a time turner?" Remus still could not follow.

"Because... I couldn't just go find you because... because in my world you died three years ago." Hermione's voice was barely audible.

"I... Died? But how?"

"It was the last battle during the war."

"What war?"

"The Second Wizard War."

That was suddenly becoming too much news for Remus to take in. He had just travelled twenty years into the future, standing face to face with a young witch claiming to be his friend, learning about his own death, in a war he had no knowledge that existed.

Watching the expression of a combination of shock and confusion in his face, Hermione began to feel guilty. After all, it was HER wish to bring him back, and HER time turner that took on a mind of its own, somehow got a hold of a crazy owl, and went to the wrong time.

"I think I can explain everything to you if you let me. It's getting late, do you want to come with me to my place?" she offered.

Remus was not completely convinced by her story, and he certainly was not convinced that he could trust her. "Well I would definitely want to hear about everything. But I think it would be better if I..." he suddenly remembered the whole reason why he was in Hogsmeade at this late hour. "I guess I should go see Dumbledore."

He was surprised to see the glistening tears in her eyes.

"Dumbledore... died... During the war." she whispered.

The night was certainly getting worse and worse for Remus.

"Come on. You have to trust me. Come with me and I will explain. Please?" Hermione reached out and took Remus' hand, looking straight into his eyes for his consent.

Remus never thought he would follow a stranger's order so blindly. But with everything that happened in one night, Remus could not see any other options. She did say there were friends, right? And for some strange reasons, looking into her beautiful brown eyes made him feel … safe.

He nodded in silence and with a soft pop, they left the village.


	4. Chapter 4 A Friend

**Chapter Four - A Friend**

As Hermione summoned the kettle in the kitchen to get the tea ready, Remus sat down by the kitchen table and looked around her apartment. It was quite a comfortable place, with an open floor plan leading the kitchen directly into the living room. The living room was not exactly tidy, as books and parchment were lying around the coffee table and the floor.

"Sorry about the mess," she took a quick look at her living room, "I wasn't expecting any company."

"So… we were friends?" He asked casually.

"Yes. I first met you when you were my Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in my third year at Hogwarts."

"I was…. I mean I will be a teacher? They would hire a…" His surprised voice was slowly trailing off.

"A werewolf? Yes. Dumbledore didn't think it mattered. And we were all glad he found you. Well, and also at the beginning, other than the professors, not many people knew."

"Did you know?"

"Yes."

"How did you find out?"

"Well when you had to take a few days off during a full moon, Professor Snape gave us an essay to write on werewolves. Apparently I was the only one who spent the time to finish the homework." She said as she set out two cups on the table.

"Ah Snape…." His brows furrowed, "Were you scared when you found out?" He looked a little concerned.

"Not at all." She answered with great ease, and poured some tea into his cup. "Why would I be? You were always easygoing and nice and kind and gentle…."

"Alright alright..." he could feel himself blushing, "thanks for making me feel good."

"But it's true." She said matter-of-factly.

"So you were my student and we were friends?" For some reason Remus was feeling a little uncomfortable about what he thought this conversation was leading to.

"Well not then. You were only my teacher for a year."

"And why was that?"

"Well we think Snape got jealous of you because he wanted your job and he told a bunch of students that you were a werewolf. So you resigned."

Remus smiled and let out a sigh, "I always knew he wouldn't be able to keep the secret."

"And later we met again, at Sirius' house…"

"Don't bring up that traitor's name!" He growled in a low voice.

"Oh no, you don't understand. It wasn't Sirius that betrayed James and Lily. It was Peter!" She went on to tell him everything she witnessed the night in her third year when they met Sirius Black in Shrieking Shack. She watched Remus' expressions turned from surprise to concern and finally, to relief.

"I have always wondered about how Sirius could switch sides like that. For the longest time I knew he would die before bringing James and Lily any harm. It's such relief to know… Where is he now?" His eyes suddenly lit up as the thought of reuniting with a fellow marauder came to his mind.

She looked away, feeling uneasy to deliver yet another piece of sad news to him. "We lost Sirius in the war too." She said quietly.

She watched as he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and buried his face in his hands. A minute later, he looked up at her and said, "Tell me everything."

So she did. She told him every detail that she could remember about the war, about the Order, about the meetings at 12 Grimmauld Place, at the Burrow, about her journey with Harry and Ron in search of the Horcruxes, and about the battles.

As she finished telling him all the events, they sat in silence. He was deep in thoughts for a long time, until he saw from the corner of his eye that she tried to politely hide a yawn.

"That was a lot to take in," he turned to her and said, "I will need some time to process. Thank you… for the tea. It's getting late. I'd better leave now."

She stopped him as he got up from the chair, "where will you go? Stay here. You can have the guest bedroom."

He considered her offer, which was probably the best option he could have thought of at the moment, but still….

"And you can help me prepare for the hearing on Monday." She added, making her offer more reasonable.

He nodded in agreement, wondering if letting the young witch bossing him around would become a recurring theme.

When they parted in the hallway, she smiled warmly at him before closing her bedroom door.

* * *

><p>Remus woke up to the scent of fresh coffee and homemade muffins. It was very quiet in the apartment. When he walked into the living room, all he could hear was the sound of a quill scratching swiftly on parchment. It was behind a big pile of books stacking up on the floor next to the coffee table where Remus finally noticed Hermione's curly brown hair.<p>

"Good morning," she looked up and smiled brightly at him, "coffee and blueberry muffins are in the kitchen."

"Thank you!" he smiled back at her, and walked closer to see her work. "Is this what you have to present at the hearing tomorrow? Want to talk about it?"

"Yes, but not now." She put down her quill and pulled herself up from the floor. "We will have some breakfast first and then go get a few things for you. I want to get you a few outfits first. A trip to Diagon Alley would do, you think?"

"I can't let you do that. You don't have to buy me anything." He began to protest.

"Considering that I pretty much kidnapped you to 2002, I think this is the least I can do." She smiled at him quickly as she walked towards the kitchen.

"There she goes again…" he murmured to himself, wondering why it was so hard to say no to her.

* * *

><p>Diagon Alley was a bustling place on this particular Sunday morning. The residents of the wizardry world were taking the advantage of the beautiful weather to get some of their Halloween shopping done. As they walked by Madame Petite's Fashion Boutique, they saw a little boy, probably around seven or eight, holding a small bag of costumes, trailing his parents out of the store. Remus flinched when he heard the boy screaming in great excitement, "Yippee! I am going to be a werewolf!"<p>

It didn't take long before they finished their shopping. After some absolute necessities, a couple pairs of slacks, and a few sweaters, Remus refused to go into any more stores. "This is way too much already." He said.

As they strolled down the narrow street, a small gathering of young wizards and witches caught their attention. As they walked towards the gathering with many other shoppers, they saw a couple of young witches trying to straighten up a large banner that flashes with the words saying "Give House-elves a Chance!" A few young wizards were trying to set up a large sign that read "Werewolves are our Friend." And a tall wizard, with very broad shoulders, was holding up a board flashing a picture and a slogan. As he turned the board one way, people can see the large print of the words "Giants Rock". As he turned the other way, a picture of a large giant beamed at the crowd.

Bystanders watched with mixed expressions. Some nodded in agreement. A couple of older witches began chatting with the two young witches holding the banner. A few young wizards cheered at the tall wizard as they walked by, "yes they rock!" But there were also some that watched with great concerned. A few even shot them ugly looks and rude gestures.

"You immature and ignorant lot! Mark my words, this whatever movement you are making will certainly be the demise of our world!" A few witches and wizards turned their attention to an old wizard who suddenly started shouting at the group. Some nodded quietly and murmured with each other, and others frowned and shook their heads.

"Let's get out of here." Hermione pulled on Remus' arm slightly. This would be the last thing she wanted to see the night before the hearing.

* * *

><p>Hermione made Remus wait in the living room as she went into her room. She soon returned with a thick roll of parchment.<p>

"This is a copy of the proposal that I submitted to the Ministry." She handed it to him, "can you take a look and let me know what you think?"

Remus sat down in the couch and opened the parchment. He could feel her eyes staring at him across the room. He chuckled to himself. This must be what she did when he was grading her papers when he was her professor.

Remus was soon absorbed in the document. Hermione's arguments were strong, her demands for equality for all were made extremely clear, and her proposed implementation plans was complete and comprehensive.

"What do you think?" Hermione asked eagerly as Remus finally put down the document.

"Well it looks very good." He considered his words carefully, recalling what he saw during their trip to Diagon Alley. "I have to believe many things have changed in the past twenty years. Your arguments are quite convincing." He paused briefly, "However, I have to say that the proposal sounded a bit radical. Aren't you afraid that taking the lead of this movement all by yourself may isolate you from the greater wizardry world? Could presenting this document become a career limiting act for you?"

Hermione listened to his every word, stood up, and started pacing around the room. "No," she turned and smiled at himvbrightly, "I'm not afraid of that." She simply answered.

A minute passed she suddenly looked up at him, "I once heard one said, that 'it is the quality of one's convictions that determines success, not the number of followers'."

He raised an eyebrow, looking at her curiously, "hmmm, that sounds very ballsy. Who said that?"

The corner of her mouth twitched slightly, "you did." She answered, "you have always been a great inspiration."

His eyes opened wide as her shot him a mysterious smile.

"Listen," she began again, but with a bit of hesitation, "would you like to come to the hearing with me tomorrow?"

"Am I allowed in?"

"Only guests are allowed and you can be my guest."

"I would love to go." That was an easy answer.

"Oh Remus, thank you! Having you there means the world to me. Let me send an note to the Ministry so the security will know when we get there in the morning." She quickly walked to her desk and pulled out a set of memo paper and started her note.

Remus watched the young witch quietly as she set the flying memo out of the window. He hadn't met anyone like her before, so passionate and determined. But why would she think that him being there would mean the world to her? He began to really like the idea of being her friend.


	5. Chapter 5 The Initial Hearing

**Chapter Five - The Initial Hearing**

_**October 14, 2002**_

Monday morning came a little too soon for Hermione.

As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, the mirror let out a playful whistle. "Looking good my child. The charcoal pantsuit and the black robe go well together!"

But Hermione wasn't so sure. She frowned as she looked at the girl looking back at her, with wavy brown hair flowing down her shoulders. She looked a bit too young. She looked as if she was a Hogwarts student in her N.E.W.T year. Will they listen to her? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She would have to make it count.

Remus Lupin was waiting for her in the living room. They greeted each other with a mutual smile and sat through breakfast in silence. Hermione looked preoccupied, and Remus understood why. Making a case in front of the entire Wizengamot would not be an easy task.

As they arrived at the atrium of the Ministry of Magic, they were greeted by a group of young wizards, most of whom were about their age. They were holding colorful banners and signs, and chanting encouraging slogans supporting Hermione's proposal. Hermione smiled warily at them, but quickly walked pass the group when a couple of the young witches tried to catch up with her for a conversation.

As they walked down the corridor, Remus glanced carefully at the young witch by his side. Her expression was serious and determined. She seemed prepared and confident. However as she reached for the door with trebling hands, Remus realized, she was very nervous.

Hermione turned and looked at Remus briefly before she walked down towards the floor. Not knowing what possessed him, Remus leaned over and kissed her on her cheek. "You will do fine." He whispered to her.

She paused and beamed at him, her eyes twinkling. A moment later she turned and walked across the railings separating the audience and the rest of the court room, down to the center of the floor, where a desk and a chair were awaiting her company, looking very lonely in the spot light.

Remus looked around the court room. It was a much different sight from the atrium. Wizard and witches in formal robes silently entered the room through a heavy door opposite the entrance through which Hermione and Remus had come. They slowly settle down in the benches facing her. These are the the Wizengamot council members. Behind Hermione were seats prepared for the audience, which were barely occupied. Remus found himself a seat facing the ministry secretary, who resides between the council members and Hermione's desk. It was a spot that allowed him a complete view of both Hermione's face and the entire Wizengamot.

Remus noticed a tall and wide figure sitting in an opposite far corner of the audience, way in the back, with his face hidden in the shadow. It didn't take Remus long to recognize the gamekeeper at Hogwarts. But he quickly decided this was not a good time to meet the old friend and discuss his journey through time.

The whispers among the council members quickly died down as a tall black wizard entered the room and took his seat in the center of the long table opposite Hermione. Remus realized this must be the Acting Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt. He had known Kingsley from his Hogwarts days. But the Kingsley today had looked much different from the teenager that Remus had remembered.

Hermione had told Remus about Kingsley's opinion towards equality for all magical creatures. He had privately expressed his strong support for her. However, being the Acting Minister, Kingsley was in a delicate position where he had to act almost neutral in the public eyes.

Shacklebolt looked around the room and began in his deep and reassuring voice, "we are here today to start a process to review the necessity of certain potential social reform. The first proposal had been submitted by Miss Hermione Granger regarding the rights for magical creatures. As you all have a copy of the document, I would like Miss Granger to give us an overview. You can raise any questions you may have during today's session in preparation for the Council's close-door discussion. Miss Granger, I now turn the table over to you. Could you please lead us through your proposal…."

The first part of the presentation went as well as Hermione had expected. First she laid out her observation of the existing discriminations against magical creatures such as giants, house elves, werewolves, and centaurs. Then she described the unfair treatments such magical creatures received by comparison with other witches and wizards. After that she presented an action plan, with detail outline of the regulations that should be removed.

As she finished, the room was so quite that one could only hear the court secretary's quill scratching swiftly on parchment.

"Any questions or comments?" Shacklebolt looked around and behind him at his council members.

A thin wizard sitting next to him leaned forward towards Hermione. He had short spiky white hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Yes Councilman O'Hare?" Shacklebolt acknowledged the thin wizard's upcoming inquiry.

"Miss Granger, I do appreciation your compassion towards these less privileged creatures." As he spoke, O'Hare's voice was smooth and unhurried.

Remus' frowned as he heard these words. For his whole life he had long become used to prejudice and all kind of unfair treatments. However, he found hearing the statement right here in the heart of the wizardry governing body, even though it was not a comment made directly towards him, very disheartening. He took a quick glance at Hermione, and saw her sitting on the edge of her chair. Her face turned slightly red. Her hands in front of her made into fists.

"You do understand these creatures that you are addressing in you proposal are barely human. Allowing them to have the same rights with others in our wizardry community, who possess much higher intelligence and etiquette, will certainly..."

"I do not agree with your opinion about them." Hermione snapped, "By your standard, there were many Death Eaters who were powerful and capable. What did they do? They only brought us destructions and despair."

"But these creatures are dangerous!" A witch with straight black hair sitting behind O'Hare squeaked unsurely.

"Not all of them are. Many of them fought side by side with us during the war. Without them we would have lost even more lives to Voldemort." Hermione was almost shouting now, her voice slightly trembling.

"Ah you may not be aware of Miss Granger's experience, Celia," the thin wizard smiled wickedly, but did not look back towards the witch behind him. He continued in his smooth voice, "Miss Granger was a _war hero_ and she had some experience working with a few unusual magical creatures." The way O'Hare referred to Hermione as a "war hero" did not come across as a friendly gesture.

"You see, my fellow council members, Miss Granger was quite young and naïve during the war. Were you twenty? Or maybe nineteen? Or maybe not even that! I can certainly understand how making acquaintance with a few magical creatures could impress a young woman like you. You might have become friends with them. And Merlin knows, you might have even developed some personal feelings with certain half-breeds. Your opinions are biased." O'Hare continued to smile wickedly when a startling murmurs suddenly broke among the Wizengamot members.

"There were attempts to reach the majority of such creatures," O'Hare went on, "giants, werewolves… they were given an opportunity to be our allies. But most of them declined the opportunity and became You-Know-Who's subjects."

"Those attempts were not from the Ministry." Hermione countered without missing a beat. "The efforts were from Dumbledore alone and if you recall," she went on with a steady voice, "the Ministry never share the same opinions with Dumbledore on this issue. He could not represent the entire wizardry community, and could not offer the rights that those creatures deserved. Voldemort simply took advantage of such opportunity. It was not their fault alone."

"Are you accusing the Ministry?" O'Hare suddenly raised his voice, "Miss Granger, I know your reputation from your days at Hogwarts, little Miss Question-all. I recommend that you remember your place. You should not be talking to the Council in this manner. Show your respect!"

"How could you demand respect, when you show none towards others who deserve it? " Hermione rose from her seat, looking straight into the older wizard's eyes.

"Are you calling me a hypocrite?" O'Hare roared.

The courtroom fell suddenly quiet. Even the sound of the quill scratching parchment had abruptly stopped, as the secretary stopped her note taking in mid-point and looked up to observe.

A quiet cough came from the far corner in the audience. The large shadow of Hagrid shifted in his seat uneasily.

As if on cue, Shacklebolt cleared his throat and said, "it was a good beginning for this discussion. I would encourage the Council resume your review and debate during the upcoming close-door sessions. The final hearing will reconvene in two weeks, when the proposer, Miss Granger, will make a final statement and have an opportunity to address the final questions from the Council. A decision will be made about the proposal at the end of the next hearing. Meeting adjourned."

With that, wizards and witches rose from their seats and began to leave the room, talking to each other in low voices. Shacklebolt sent Hermione an encouraging smile before he turned and walked out of the heavy door in the back.

Remus decided he would stay in his seat until everyone left the room before meeting up with Hermione. O'Hare's comments about her developing "personal feelings with certain half-breeds" alarmed him. Although he did not think many would recognize his secret, he did not want to risk her reputation.

As he sat and watched, he saw Hagrid made his way down to Hermione.

"Hermione, good job!" The half-giant reached down across the railings and gave her a hug. Her petite figure disappeared in his moleskin coat for a brief second.

"We have all been following your progress," Hagrid went on, "McGonagall, Grawp, and the house elves. Well, I had to kind of explain it to Grawp in small phrases, you know. He wasn't keen on the situation. I also tried to get the centaurs to listen. But they weren't very interested… Strange creatures they are. Glad I can be here today. Shacklebolt let me in as his guest. Not sure about next time though, may have to help with a class." He gave Hermione's shoulder a friendly squeeze, "don't let that skinny old wizard hold you back."

Hermione smiled at Hagrid warmly as the half-giant made his way out of the courtroom. She then turned and began collecting her notes.

As Remus walked down to the floor to meet up with Hermione, she turned to him with a defeated look on her face. "It didn't go as well as I hoped." She whispered.

"You did well." He said in a gentle and encouraging voice. "For whatever it's worth… I am very impressed!" He smiled at her and helped her with the documents she was carrying.

Hermione didn't need to go back to work after the hearing, so she suggested that they take a walk in the park in the neighborhood near the Ministry.

"How else am I going to convince them…" she sighed, "no one would listen."

"Give them some time Hermione. Try to understand how they feel. They may have their reasons." Remus said calmly.

Hermione frowned and shot him a glance. This was a man who suffered from prejudice most of his life. Not many had considered his feelings when the unfair laws and regulations shut him out of the society. Yet there he was, giving her the advice of forgiving, and understanding those who discriminated against him.

"We will think of a way…" He said as they strolled down the quiet boulevard. "Emotions always play too strong of a role in one's attitude towards others. Fear may lead to hatred. And hatred will not be able to resolve fear."

Hermione looked at the man walking by her side. His light brown hair drifted slightly down on his forehead. He was walking with his hands in his pockets, looking straight ahead of him, deep in thought.

This was exactly how she remembered him when they used to take walks and carry on discussions. This was exactly what she expected Remus Lupin would say to her. He always understood her. She would never be alone as long as she had him by her side.


	6. Chapter 6 Just Friends?

**Chapter Six - Just Friends?**

On their way home Hermione insisted that they stopped by a muggle library to check out a few books. "A few books" turned out to be quite a load for both of them to carry. As soon as they got home, Hermione spread out the collection, mostly on muggle history of the early twentieth century, on her coffee table. She explained to Remus that what he said to her after the hearing had given her an idea for her "next step". As he asked for the specifics she shook her head, "it's only an idea at this point. I need to do a little more reading."

Remus smiled, amused to see that he could finally meet someone that enjoyed reading as much as himself. Leaving her with her research, Remus wondered over to her bookshelf and started looking through her own collections of books. In a section near the end of the middle shelf, he noticed several worn out copies of muggle classics that looked extremely familiar. As he pulled them out one by one, he found his own initials on the copies of Shakespeare's Hamlet and King Lear, Mark Twain's short stories, and Edgar Allan Poe's poems.

Sensing his discovery, Hermione quietly walked over to his side and picked the copy of Edgar Allan Poe's poems herself.

"I was helping them clean up your things… after you… died. And I took these… to remember you. I hope you don't mind…."

Remus chuckled slightly, how would he mind if he was dead? Then he realized she was addressing him at the present time. Suddenly he felt a sense of warmth in his chest. She wanted to remember him… by keeping his things!

"Of course I don't mind. I am glad you kept them. These happen to be my favorites. It's just… they look a lot more worn out than I remembered. This one," he pointed at the book that Hermione was holding, "was pretty new that last time I saw it."

The time traveling adventure was indeed a confusing situation. While making dinner together, their conversation lingered on Hermione's recount of Remus' experience in the years that Remus had never experienced. The conversation continued on after dinner, as they moved from the kitchen to the living-room, each holding a glass of red wine.

Sitting comfortably in the couch opposite Remus, Hermione leaned back and pulled her legs up. Her cheeks slightly pink from the wine; her wavy brown hair bouncing slightly every time she moved her head; and her beautiful big brown eyes sparkled when she looked at him.

"We were just friends?" Remus wasn't sure why he asked.

There was a slight hesitation. "Yes" was all she said.

For some reason Remus felt a sense of disappointment. He couldn't tell why, but he was hoping there would be a little more between them than friendship. He could not deny that he was getting more and more attracted to this young witch by the minute. But how did she feel about him?

An awkward silence fell between them for a few seconds. Hermione got up and walked to the kitchen, rinsing off her wine glass without a word. Remus decided he needed to change the subject.

"I've been thinking… I should probably start finding something to do if I am here to stay in 2002." He said, "I saw a notice posted at the Department of Mysteries this morning when we walked through the atrium. They have a few openings for the auror training program. Do you think they would consider my application? I think my N.E.W.T scores were decent enough for the basic requirements."

"Absolutely! That's a great idea!" Hermione smiled as she came back to the living room, sitting next to Remus, "Kingsley had made quite a few changes to the recruiting guideline so I don't think they would discriminate you. I have seen you fight during the war. You would make a great auror! And you can work with Harry and Ron!"

Hermione was getting more and more excited as she spoke. "Oh Harry and Ron will be so excited to see you! I wish they were here now! I guess I just have to be a little patient. They were sent with the Ministry's delegation to Germany to meet with their counterparts there. They should be back from their trip in a couple of weeks. Oh I can almost see the expressions on their faces…"

Remus couldn't help but smile at the beautiful young woman in front of him. She was so excited about his future. She was willing to risk her own career to fight for the rights of people in his condition, she accepted him as a friend for what he was, she wanted to remember him when he was gone, and she even made a time turner because she wished to see him again! Remus suddenly felt a short of breath. He leaned closer to her, but not sure what he would do next.

Hermione stopped in mid sentence as she felt the deepening gaze from Remus. She looked up at him and saw the longing in his handsome amber eyes. Her heart was pounding faster and faster. She looked down, but didn't move.

Remus took it as the answer that he was hoping for. When his lips finally reached hers she closed her eyes. The kiss was gentle and tentative. Before she could come back to her senses, Remus pulled back and let out a sigh.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to… I know… I'm… not ... I shouldn't… I'm a…"

"No. Don't be sorry!" Hermione stopped him and reached over for his shoulders. She pulled him closer and kissed him back. Her lips were warm and soft, and the kiss was innocent but assuring. Their hands laced together as they moved closer to each other.

As they broke apart they were both breathing heavily.

"I should probably get ready for bed now." Hermione panted slightly. "It's getting late. And… still have to go to work in the morning." She paused and looked back at him, lights dancing in her eyes, "you will come with me to work too?"

Remus smiled back and reluctantly let go of her hands as she got up from the couch. "Yes I will." He said, "I hope the auror department will soon be ready for a werewolf."


	7. Chapter 7 Potion and Poems

**Chapter Seven - Potion and Poems**

Hermione was laughing so hard that she almost fell out of the couch.

"Your boggart… was Minerva… telling you… that you failed all your exams?" It was not easy for the young Remus Lupin to finish his sentence as he tried to catch his breathes while laughing as hard as Hermione.

After sharing a couple of kisses earlier that week, Hermione and Remus quickly got into a comfortable routine with each other.

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement did not disappoint them and promptly accepted Lupin upon reviewing his impressive school records, although the witch taking in his application did look at him in amazement before muttering something about "looking so young after so many years" under her breath. The training program quickly began the following day. Soon Remus was apparating to work with Hermione every morning and meeting up with her at the ministry atrium every evening.

They soon found evenings the best time of the day. Being in someone else's company had never felt so right. It was very easy for Hermione to feel comfortable around the young Remus Lupin. He was as charming as the older him that she had known for years, except that the younger Lupin was much more relaxed and less guarded. Remus was completely taken by the beautiful and witty witch who had accepted him with such open heart. It almost felt like he had known her from somewhere before.

In this particular evening, Hermione decided to tell Remus stories from the days when she was a student in the class of certain Professor Lupin. Somehow her impression of the professor quickly turned into his teaching styles, which soon involved a lesson with a boggart.

"Don't laugh at me Lupin! Professor McGonagall was looking really scary in those days!" Hermione pretended to defend herself. But as her laughter slowly calm down to a giggle, she had to agree that her fear was indeed very silly.

"Oh I am in no position to make fun of you Granger! My boggart is a full moon, isn't it? Just think of all those romantic poems and songs written for its beauty!" Remus wiped his eyes and smiled, "Fear can indeed be a ridiculous thing!"

As they slowly recovered from their playful jabbing at each other, Remus suddenly remembered….

"Do you think Shrieking Shack is still secure enough for me to spend a few nights?" he asked quietly.

"What? Oh I completely lost track of the time! When is it? Early next week? Oh you are definitely not going there!" She looked at him wide-eyed.

"Why not? That's the safest place for me, isn't it?" It was Remus' turn to be surprised.

"Oh no no no… we have a solution for that these days." Hermione quickly walked to the fireplace, threw in a handful of floo powder, and stuck her head into the greenish flames.

A minute later she pulled herself out and explained to Remus, who was watching her curiously. "I just ordered a rush delivery of wolfsbane. You are going to take it every night and the wolf is going stay right here with me!"

Before Hermione could finish explaining what wolfsbane would do during full moon, a pecking noise at her window announced the arrival of a large barn owl with a large brown bottle tied to its leg.

Remus studied the liquid carefully before looking at Hermione with a mischievous smile, "can I really trust you on this? After all, you did just finish telling me that terrible polyjuice potion accident you got yourself into during your second year."

His comment earned him a quick slap on his shoulder. As he pretended to block her hand he quickly pulled Hermione into his arms. "Sorry bad joke... Of course I will take this. But are you sure this is going to work? I would never forgive myself if the monster hurt you." He kissed her soft brown curls and said quietly. "I think it is better if I go to Shrieking Shack for the full moon."

"I am going with you then." Hermione answered stubbornly.

"You are not going to do such thing!" Remus frowned, "I can't let you go to that cold and dirty place!"

"It's settled then. We are BOTH staying here."

Remus shook his head in defeat. As if to seal the deal, Hermione placed a soft kiss gently on his lips. That was when he suddenly realized, he had no strength to refuse this woman.

* * *

><p><em><strong>October 21, 2002<strong>_

Remus was pacing the room. He had been taking the potion and would soon find out its power as the moon slowly rising in the sky.

"You are making me dizzy," Hermione complained, "come here and sit down."

"Promise me you will keep the door locked when I am in that bedroom."

"How many times do I have to tell you that with the wolfsbane potion you will be able to control yourself? But fine. I will lock the door until you signal me to open it back up."

"I won't let you open it!"

"Oh fine... Yes sir, I will keep the door locked. Are you happy now?" Hermione said in a fake pleading voice.

Remus sighed and settled down next to Hermione. "What are you reading?" he pointed at the book in her hands.

"Your copy of Edgar Allan Poe's poems." Hermione showed him the book. "I have always been wondering... why do you like this poem so much?"

"Which one?"

"This one... For Annie."

Remus frowned slightly, "I only remember reading that piece once or twice. What made you think I liked it?"

"That's so obvious!" Hermione handed him the worn-out book and answered, "look here, look at the binding right around these few pages. It looked as if you always turned to this particular poem. And the pages around here... all looking older and worn out than the rest of the book!"

"You are the one that should become an auror I think... Or what do they call it in the muggle world... a private detective?" Remus smiled and turned his attention back to the book in his hands. He examined the pages carefully himself, "but I really can't remember this one much. Must have happened after I was summoned here I guess." He concluded. "I was more impressed by this one here... It's called Silence."

He turned to another section of the book and started reading. His slightly hoarse voice was steady and calm. Hermione closed her eyes and listened, and found his voice intoxicating.

"_There are some qualities-some incorporate things, That have a double life... There is a two-fold Silence-sea and shore- Body and soul... He is the corporate Silence: dread him not! No power hath he of evil in himself...commend thyself to God!_"

"What does it mean?" She was the one first broke the silence after he finished reading.

"I think it is about not to fear death, that death has no power over life." Remus paused and thought about it, "And I find it very inspiring. It is not just about death, but other things we often fear. The double life he was referring to, I can sometimes feel it. It takes quite a bit of effort to accept both of them in myself."

As he barely finished the sentence, his expressions stiffened slightly. "I can feel it now. Keep the door locked." He whispered, and soon disappeared into his bedroom.

* * *

><p>Remus stayed in his room the entire night during the first full moon. Hermione asked several times for a signal from the other side of the door so that she could open the door.<p>

"Give me a little whine so I can come see you." She asked every time. He was very quiet in the room and he did not answer her call. After about checking on him for the sixth time, she heard the wolf walk towards the door and leaned heavily against it, as if letting her know that even if she broke the spells and unlock the door, he was not going to let her through.

"Alright suit yourself then." She sighed, before going back to her reference books for her preparation for the final hearing in about a week.

Impressed by the amount of controls he could maintain under the influence of the potion, Remus was a little more relaxed during the following night. The wolf let out a small whine when Hermione knocked on the door gently for the third time. As she opened the door, she was briefly face to face with the large beast. His golden eyes were shining in the darkness of his room. The stare was slightly intimidating yet very calm and reserved. She suddenly realized that he was actually quite a majestic creature. The wolf was tall and lean. His thick fur covered his prominent muscles. He almost had a regal way of carrying his strong neck and shoulders as he slowly paced in front of Hermione. He studied her face only momentarily, before turning back into the far end of his room and settled down in a corner, never to come out again.

After another peaceful night, Remus finally became completely confident with the potion. On the last night of the full-moon, he came out of his room after the transformation, and slowly settled himself down at the foot of the coffee table.

Hermione scooted down from her couch and sat next to the wolf. She was reading the poems again. Absentmindedly she ran her fingers through the wolf's thick coat. "What was so special about this poem that made him read it so many times," she thought to herself as she read For Annie quietly to herself.

The poem was beautifully written, but also very sad. She had always fantasized that the poem was a message in codes, sending to her from the older Lupin. As curious she was, she felt slightly disappointed that the mystery would have to stay unsolved. However, having Remus back to her was more than she could ever hope for. So she quietly scolded herself. Feeling perfectly content, she leaned closer to the wolf, resting her head on his strong shoulders, and slowly drifted to sleep.

When Hermione woke up early in the morning, she found herself snugged comfortably under the cover in her own bed. It took her a few minutes to remember the night before. She had fallen asleep. It must have been Remus who carried her to bed after he transformed back. Having the image of him carrying her into her bedroom made her blush. Then she suddenly realized he would have been naked right after he returned to his human form. Thinking of herself cuddling up next to a naked Remus made her blush even deeper. She buried her face in her pillow, and smiled.

* * *

><p>It had been the most peaceful full moon that Remus could remember. The effect of the potion was magical. The transformation was still painful. However, he was in complete control of his mind. He could see and think clearly, even though he was temporarily trapped in the werewolf's body. It was to his great relief that Hermione did not seem to be afraid of the monster. It made his heart swell as her fingers ran through the wolf's fur gently the night before.<p>

As he looked down at the young witch sleeping peacefully on the floor after he regained his human form, he thanked heavens for his great fortunate to be brought to such an amazing woman. He could have use a simple magic to bring her back to her bed. But that just didn't feel right. Sore and tired as he was, he decided to carry her back to her bed. As he held her trim body in his arms, his heart was as light as a feather. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before leaving her and returning to his room. He promised internally that he would take things slow. He wanted to do everything right. He wanted to be with her forever, as long as she would let him.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Silence<br>****by Edgar Allan Poe**_

_There are some qualities-some incorporate things,  
>That have a double life, which thus is made<br>A type of that twin entity which springs  
>From matter and light, evinced in solid and shade.<br>There is a two-fold Silence-sea and shore-  
>Body and soul. One dwells in lonely places,<br>Newly with grass o'ergrown; some solemn graces,  
>Some human memories and tearful lore,<br>Render him terrorless: his name's "No More."  
>He is the corporate Silence: dread him not!<br>No power hath he of evil in himself;  
>But should some urgent fate (untimely lot!)<br>Bring thee to meet his shadow (nameless elf,  
>That haunteth the lone regions where hath trod<br>No foot of man,) commend thyself to God!_


	8. Chapter 8 Changing the Future

**Chapter Eight - Changing the Future**

_**October 28, 2002**_

When Hermione stood in front of the Wizengamot waiting for the hearing to begin, all she could think of was the quiet conversation she had with Remus by the fire the night before.

* * *

><p>It was a stormy night. The rain thrashed against the window panes. The sound of the storm made the fire in front of them even cozier than usual. Sitting comfortably in the couch, Remus held his arms loosely around Hermione, who was resting her head on his shoulder.<p>

"What if they don't listen? What if I can't impress them?" Her voice was slightly trembling.

"Don't make it your goal to impress them. You are smart, genuine, compassionate, and sincere. Be yourself and tell them what you think. They are bound to listen." He gently stroked her hair with his slender fingers, while placing a kiss in her hair.

"Will you come with me tomorrow?" She asked.

"Yes. I will be there." It was a simple answer. There were no dramatic promises. But it was the solid commitment that Hermione would ever hope for.

* * *

><p>Taking a deep breath, Hermione cast a glance around her. Unlike the last hearing, the audience was quite different today. Because it was the final hearing, the court room was open to the public. The benches behind Hermione's lonely desk were packed.<p>

It was quite a diverse crowd in the audience. There were wizards and witches young and old. Some looked as if they had traveled far, wearing thick traveling cloaks. Some were dressed in formal robes, as if they could be one of the council members sitting in the wrong side of the room. She also noticed quite a few young wizards and witches, looking completely out of place, sitting next to their formally dressed neighbors, wearing sweatshirts and jeans.

She knew she would not see Harry and Ron that day. They were not scheduled to be back until that evening. Hagrid had sent her a note telling her that he would be teaching in the absence of the current Care of the Magical Creature teacher. She felt a slight sense of loneliness looking at all the unfamiliar faces. But as her glaze met his handsome amber eyes, she felt completely calm. With Remus there by her side, she would do just fine.

The appearance of the tall dark wizard announced the beginning of the hearing. Shacklebolt's deep voice echoed in the room, "Good morning everyone. Let me first thank the council members for their hard work in the past couple weeks reviewing the proposal. I hope after today's meeting we will be able to reach a general consensus that would benefit our world for years to come."

He paused and surveyed the room briefly, before giving Hermione an encouraging smile, "Miss Granger, would you like to address the council for the last time on this proposal?"

Hermione gracefully got up from her seat and thanked the acting minister. "I first want to apologize to Mr. O'Hare for some of the words I said during our last hearing." Her voice was calm and controlled.

"I let my temper get the best of me." She continued, "Letting emotions getting in the way can certainly be dangerous for policy making. When I was preparing for today's hearing, I was reminded to consider others' feelings. Indeed, it was my oversight not to consider the other side of the argument. I had forgotten to consider the initial reaction when our community first came into contact with the other magical creatures. It was only human to be afraid, and to fear the unknown and unfamiliar elements and creatures."

Hermione looked completely different from the last hearing. In her brown pinstriped suit, with her hair neatly up in a bun, she looked more mature and confident. But the biggest difference about her on this day was the way she carried herself, and how relaxed she sounded. She was going to be herself.

She slowly walked across the floor and approached the long tables that divided her and the council members. She regarded them with a sincere smile.

"I want to thank you all for taking the time to review the document that I put together. Come to think of it, for me to have the opportunity to be here today, to stand in front of the honorable Wizengamot, is truly a miracle.

"I will never forget the day when an owl delivered the letter from Professor Dumbledore to my family, informing us that I was a witch. I remember how horrified my parents and I were at the beginning. My parents were both muggles, with no knowledge about the wizardry community. The only witches we were aware of were either the evil hags in fairytales, and the ones that were hunt down and executed in the 18th century. Neither presented a very pretty picture. If my parents didn't have the open mind and read the History of Hogwarts with me, and learned to accept the wizardry world and the fact that I was a witch, I probably may never be able to be here today. I want to share this experience with you, because I want you to know that I too, had experienced the fear when facing an unknown world."

The courtroom was extremely quiet as Hermione continue to speak.

"It is really not anyone's fault, as it is only human to be afraid. It is only natural to react when an unknown creature, an unknown power, or an unknown culture intimidate us physically or mentally. The easiest and quickest way to react to such unknown, happen to be to suppress and control it to one's best ability. While suppressing and controlling seemed to do the work in the short-term to maintain the usual comfort that we had gotten used to, we simply miss the opportunity to invest time and effort to understand these unfamiliar creatures. And that was how these discrimination came about.

"The wizardry world is not the only place where prejudice lies. Parallel to our world, the muggles had their share of designing laws and policies based on fear for the unknown and uncertainties. Because of the lack of mutual understanding, because of the fear for unfamiliar cultures and religions, wars waged, battles fought, innocent lives suffered. Can we not do better after witnessing the destruction in their world?

"All I am asking today, honorable council members, is that we face those who possess different magical powers with an open mind; treat them with an open heart; and accept them with open arms."

With that, Hermione concluded her final address. For a brief moment the room was completely silent. Then suddenly, a couple of young wizards in the audience stood up behind Hermione, and began clapping their hands enthusiastically. They were soon joined by many others. Applause and cheers irrupted from the audience.

Sitting in the deafening crowd, Remus' heart was racing. He did not know Hermione's exact plan for this address. They had explored the reasoning behind the old policies and discussed ways to approach the council. But she never told him how she was going to present the argument. Remus became increasingly nervous when she started the presentation by apologize to Councilman O'Hare. But soon he realized her clever plan. She was going to get to the heart of the matter by using her own experience! He wasn't sure if her words achieved her goal until this moment, when thundering applause filled the room. He saw an old witch among the council members dab her eyes with her handkerchief, and a wizard sitting behind her blow his nose loudly. Remus smiled. Hermione's message worked.

With a wave of his hand, Shacklebolt silenced the room once more. "Any final questions for Miss Granger?" He looked around his council.

A moment past, then, a familiar thin figure leaned forward towards Hermione.

"Yes Councilman O'Hare?" Shacklebolt inclined his head slightly to the wizard next to him.

It was another moment of silence. As if considering his words carefully, O'Hare looked at Hermione and said, "if, and only if, the Council accepted your proposal, would you be willing to lead the joint committee looking into the detail implementation of the proposed plan?"

"Absolutely." Hermione's smile widened as she answered.

"Already then. All that in favor of accepting the proposal, please raise your hands." Shacklebolt surveyed the council, where more than two thirds of the group raised their hands. "Good, proposal accepted. Next month we will review another proposal submitted by…."

His words were quickly drowned by the return of the cheers in the audience. Watching Hermione shaking hands with the wizards and witches in the audience, Remus slowly came to his senses. Hermione, his Hermione, had just changed the future, his future.

* * *

><p>Hermione declined several celebration invitations by her co-workers that night. As excited as she was, she was also exhausted. All she wanted was to have a quiet dinner with Remus, cuddle up by the fire and read for the night.<p>

It was after dinner, when they were just about to put the dishes away, they heard a call coming from the living-room.

"Well done Hermione! Are you home? Can Ron and I come in?"

"Harry!" Hermione jumped in excitement. "Yes yes yes! Come on in!"

As she ran into the living-room, a wizard with unruly dark hair and a red-headed wizard emerged from the fireplace.

"Congratulations Hermione! We heard all about is. Well done!" Harry beamed at Hermione when he saw her.

"Yes well done Hermione! That was really impressive!" echoed Ron. "And we also got your note about someone that you want us to meet. Is he here?"

That was the moment that Remus happened to follow Hermione into the room.

"I see, is this the boyfriend you've been hiding from us?" Ron's smirk widened as he noticed the presence of Remus.

"No! Yes… but no, that's not why I want you to meet him." Hermione's face turned slightly pink, but her voice was full of excitement, "this is Remus!"

To her great surprise, neither Ron nor Harry reacted the way she had imagined they would.

"Pleasure to meet you. Ron Weasley." Ron politely reached over and shook Remus' hand.

"Nice to meet you. Harry Potter." Harry followed suit.

"What's wrong with you two!" Hermione frowned at her best friends. She really didn't think the young Remus looked so much different that they couldn't recognize him. "This is Lupin! Remus Lupin!"

"What a coincidence! One of my dad's best mates had the same name! Too bad I never got to meet him." Harry said casually.

Hermione's eyes widened. Something was terribly wrong.


	9. Chapter 9 The Wish and Its Answer

**Chapter Nine – the Wish and its Answer**

"What a coincidence! One of my dad's best mates had the same name! Too bad I never got to met him." Harry said casually.

Hermione's eyes widened. Something was terribly wrong. She glanced over at Ron, who apparently was observing the conversation with great interest.

"What do you mean Harry? You know him! Of course you know Remus!" Hermione wished she was imagining the current conversation.

"I don't _know_ him Hermione. I _know of_ him." Harry corrected her, "As far as we know, Remus Lupin disappeared soon after the end of the first wizard war. According to the aurors' files, he might have fallen victim to the death eaters revenging for Voldemort. I even went looking for those files myself."

"I looked at the files too. No one ever found any evidence of the murder. Apparently he was a great wizard, that Lupin. So the theory was that he probably killed the murderer before he died." Ron chimed in.

"But he didn't die!" Hermione's voice broke, "you have to remember, Harry. He was the one who taught you how to conjure a patronus in your third year!"

"Are you alright Hermione?" Harry glanced over at Remus and gave Hermione an uneasy smile. "Dumbledore taught me that. And I didn't learn how to do it until my sixth year."

All of a sudden Hermione felt a wave of dizziness. This couldn't be happening.

"But how could that possibly be?" she shook her head in disbelief, "we spent a lot of time with him with the Order at Sirius' house!"

"Sirius' house? The Order? At Sirius' house?" Harry frowned at Hermione. "What happen to you today? Don't you remember? The first time we found out that Sirius had left me a house was after the war! He never got around to tell anyone about it. I had really only about half an hour to talk to my godfather. The dementors got him the night when he turned Scabbers back to Peter Pettigrew and tried to take him to Dumbledore and the Ministry."

Harry's frown deepened as he turned around to survey the fireplace. "Sometimes I wish I could have a chance to get to know him a little. For that very short time when I was with him, I thought I had a parent again."

There was a very uncomfortable silence. Hermione looked away from Harry and back at the rest of the company. Remus was observing the trio, brows twisted, deep in thought. Ron was staring at Hermione, looking completely confused.

"Ron! You have to remember?" Hermione was almost begging now. "Lupin escorted George in the battle over at Little Whinging. Remember?"

Ron's expression turned from confused to horrified. Before he could say a word, Harry turned to face them again and bellowed, "That's enough Hermione!"

Hermione jumped at Harry's outburst.

"Do you have to keep reminding me that my friends died because of me?" Harry shouted.

"George? Died?" Hermione gasped.

"He was escorted by Richardson, that new auror just joined the Order the same week, remember?" Ron said weakly, "Richardson wasn't experienced enough to deal with the death eaters…."

"I know you must be exhausted and all." With his eyes still looking down, Harry mumbled, apparently in great efforts trying to control his emotions, "But you know, I still feel responsible for all the lives that were lost because of me Hermione. It would be nice if you don't make me think of that so often." He then let out a big sigh, "I haven't seen Ginny since we got back. I've got to go."

Without lifting his head again, Harry disapparated with a quite pop.

Hermione's eyes were getting blurry. She could not understand. Was she losing her mind?

"Don't mind him Hermione. He hasn't had a chance to talk to Ginny for two weeks, and is probably exhausted from the trip." Ron squeezed Hermione's shoulder gently, "You really should get some rest though."

As an effort to break the awkward moment, Ron gave an almost forced smiled at Hermione and Remus, "You are coming to mum's Halloween party right? And I'm sure mum would love to meet you too Remus."

After a bit of hesitation, Ron spoke again, "just in case you can't remember… er… Fred, Bill and dad didn't make it through the war either. Just don't bring it up with mum okay? She is still having a hard time. She cries every time someone brings up their names, saying we lost half of the family and all…."

Hermione clapped her hand over her mouth to muffle a sudden cry. Could this be a nightmare? Would she be able to wake up soon? Almost shivering, she ran down the hall straight into her bedroom.

Ron stood uncomfortably with Remus. A moment past, Ron broke the silence, "sorry mate. Didn't mean to interrupt like this. But really, I have been telling her that she's been working too much. I should probably go. She might listen to you better. Anyway, it's really great meeting you. Send me an owl if she doesn't get better. I will let Ginny and Lavender know. Maybe the girls know how to talk to her and somehow get her memory back."

Remus didn't know what to say. He thanked the red-headed wizard and watched him disappeared from the living room.

Remus slowly pushed open Hermione's bedroom door. In the darkness, he could make out that she had her head buried in her pillow. In the deem moon light he could see her shoulders moving as she cried. He sat down next to her at the edge of the bed, rubbing her shoulders gently.

"You must be thinking that I lost my mind…" she said between her sobs.

"No. Of course I don't think that." Remus said quietly.

"You don't?" Hermione slowly sat up and turned her teary eyes at him.

He shook his head and said, "it's the time turner."

"But why? I don't understand! If the time turner changed the past, why do I remember all the things that happened in the first place?" Hermione wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

"I know we lost Fred. But George? Bill? Arthur? And Sirius… he was like a father to Harry, at least for quite a while…" Tears ran down her cheeks as she thought of her friends that she held so dear to her heart. "Why do I remember it so differently?"

Remus pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back gently, and said, "I have a theory." He thought for a moment, and asked, "Had you ever made wishes similar to the one you made the night when the owl took the time turner?"

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. That was an easy question. How could she forget all those wishes she made upon the first star out? She nodded without a word.

"Did anything strange ever happen?" He asked.

She shook her head. And she looked back at him, slightly confused, not sure where he was going with this.

"Something else happened that night. Your wish was answered." He sighed.

"By who? The owl?" Hermione's brows twisted.

"No." Remus answered, holding Hermione a little tighter in his arms. "By me. Or maybe we should say, you answered my wish."

Hermione looked up at Remus, searchingly. "You made a wish that night? What did you wish for?"

"I wished for someone who would l..." he stopped, thought for a moment, and said, "someone who would like to be my friend." He breathed heavily and added, "I was lonely."

"So somehow, when our wishes were connected, we stayed in the same world, while everyone else' changed?" Hermione asked uncertainly.

Remus nodded, and closed his eyes. What should they do now?

Sitting in the dark, leaning against each other, Hermione and Remus listened to the return of the rain drops beating on the window panes. It was going to be a cold long night.


	10. Chapter 10 An Unexpected Kiss

**Chapter Ten – An Unexpected Kiss  
><strong>

The rain stopped and the storm passed in the morning. But the sun did not come out. Everything seemed to have lost its colors and turned into a shade of grey.

Hermione sent an owl to the Ministry and informed her supervisor that she was not feeling well for work. She knew many of her co-workers would be expecting to talk to her about the hearing. However, her brief meeting with her best friends the night before had pretty much taken away all the excitement she felt from the otherwise triumphant success at the hearing. With everything on her mind, the last thing she wanted at this time was to chat with others about something that she did.

After a quick peck on her lips, Remus went to work alone, leaving Hermione heading straight to the Magical Library in town. She spent the whole day searching for books and records on wishes, the magic of wishes, side effect of wishes, solutions for wishes that went wrong…. The only thing she was able to find was a story about two brothers, separated at a young age, both wishing to see each other again, finally made it on their seventieth birthday. The story went on to talk about the power of a mutual wish, but said nothing about how to bring others into the wishes made by two people.

Feeling completely defeated after searching through piles of books and records, Hermione left the library when the only light in the streets was from the street lamps.

Remus was waiting for her when she got home. He even had dinner ready on the table. He greeted her with his charming warm smile and a peck on her cheek. He told her things at work and a couple of new friends he made through the program. For a few moments Hermione almost forgot about the night before and the sadness that was lingering on her mind. Then she realized that he was trying to cheer her up. He did not bring up the night before, as if nothing had happened. Could it be that it didn't bother him as much as it did her? After all, other than Sirius, Remus did not know any of her friends that were now, dead.

Hermione soon began to question her own judgment. After dinner they both retreated to the living room, each with a book. From the corner of her eye Hermione noticed Remus was staring into space, completely lost in thought. When she asked him about it, he just shook his head and gave her an apologetic smile. It reminded her of the reserve and guarded Remus that she once knew. She felt that he was hiding something from her. She did not like that.

* * *

><p>Hermione wished she could send in another owl the following morning to use the same excuse. However it was going to be the first day for her to meet with the joint committee to discuss the implementation of her proposed plan. It would not be a wise move if she was absent. She let out a heavy sigh before walking to the living room, getting ready to leave for the Ministry with Remus.<p>

To her surprise, Remus was still in his t-shirt and lounge pants. "You are not ready yet?" She raised her eyebrows, "but we will be late if we don't leave soon!"

"I forgot to tell you, we have some reading assignments for today and we are allowed to do it from home." Remus said casually, while maintaining his attention closely to a couple of books on the coffee table.

"I see… lucky for you. I wish I could stay home for the day too." Hermione sighed, "I will have to face a bunch of senior wizards from the joint committee. Oh my, not a happy thought…"

Before she could finish, Remus made a sudden step close to her and pulled her into his arms. He crushed into her lips and kissed her hard. The kiss was completely different from the previous ones they shared. The innocence was gone and there was no trace of tenderness. He invaded her mouth and searched for every corner of it. There was so much passion and desire. It felt strangely powerful, desperate and … almost like panic. It took her completely by surprise. Her mind went blank and her knees felt weak. If not because of his strong arms holding tight around her back she was sure she was going to crumble.

As he finally pulled away from her, Hermione felt disoriented.

"What was that all about, Lupin!" She didn't know how to react to his untimely display of affection. "I am going to be late for work!"

"Sorry…" he looked away but quickly turned back and smiled at her tenderly, "I thought I could give you a little encouragement."

She looked at him curiously. There was a familiar sadness in his eyes when he smiled at her. She had seen it before. But where, when?

"I have to go now if I want to make it before the meeting starts." She was still trying to catch her breath. "See you tonight alright?"

Remus was staring into space again for a brief moment. "Oh yes," he finally said, "I'll see you soon."

Still slightly confused, Hermione left with a pop, forcing herself to forget about the sad smile on his face. She needs more strength now than ever to face the joint committee for a much bigger issue of their world.


	11. Chapter 11 The Charmed Envelope

**Chapter Eleven – the Charmed Envelope**

Meeting with the joint committee was not as bad as Hermione had originally expected. Except for having to address a couple of slightly difficult questions, Hermione was able to get some constructive feedback from the group of senior members from the council. It looked like most of them were quite supportive of her goal.

She was glad the meeting did not last too long. When the afternoon came along, she found herself sitting at her desk in the office that she was sharing with two other junior staff, staring at a pile of paperwork.

It was difficult to concentrate. Remus and his passionate kiss kept coming back to her mind. Why did he do that? Why did he have to kiss her like that right before she had to leave for work? Was he trying to tell her something? Was he getting impatient about the progress of their relationship? And what exactly was their relationship?

Hermione was also bothered by the sadness she saw in his eyes. It was haunting her more and more as she pictured him in her mind. What was on his mind that he was not telling her?

"Oi Hermione!" Hermione was startled by a cheerful greeting. She looked up and gasped, it was George! No! It was Fred! No! It was Fred and George! As the second identical redheaded wizard emerged from behind the first one, Hermione's jaw dropped and she stared wide-eyed at the Wesley twins in front of her. Was she visited by ghosts?

"Oh we know you miss us. But don't need to look so surprised Hermione." Fred said teasingly.

"Yeah, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were scared to see us." George smirked at her.

"Is that Fred Weasley?" Marie, a petite young witch whose desk was at the far end of the office, rushed over to meet the twins.

"Hi Marie." Fred smiled brightly at the girl.

"Why can you always tell which one is Fred and which one is me? Even our mother has a hard time sometimes." George asked jokingly.

Marie didn't answer, but her face was suddenly turning pink.

George elbowed Fred and Fred pushed him aside. Ignoring his brother's snickering behind his back, Fred said, "I got your order from the owl this morning. We happened to be close by so I thought I would just bring it over to you."

He took out a fake wand from his jacket pocket and handed to Marie. "Here you go, the best selling gift from Zonko's Joke Shop under new management."

"Wonderful! I was just wondering if you got my order. My little brother is getting his first wand on his birthday. I'm going to give this one to him before he gets his real one from mum and dad." Marie beamed at the signature product from the Weasley twins. "Come on over, let me get you the money."

"You don't have to… really." Fred followed after her, "I was also thinking…."

"Oh look at Freddie. I don't believe it. He is hopeless... Since when had he become so nervous around girls?" George smiled as he watched his brother running after the girl before turning his attention back to Hermione, who was still staring blankly at him.

"Oi wake up Hermione!" George snapped his fingers in front of her and chuckled, "Working too hard? We just stopped by to visit dad and gave him some special Halloween decorations from our new store."

He leaned forward closer to Hermione and lowered his voice, "Don't tell Harry and Ginny this, but we have a surprise for them at the party tomorrow. After all, becoming parents deserve some good pranks, you think?"

George winked at Hermione and regained his relaxed posture. He leaned against the shelf by her desk and went on, "So, you are coming tomorrow right? It's going to be a big party. Mum's cooking. Everyone will be there. I guess they all want to congratulate Harry and Ginny in person. Bill and Fleur are coming to town in the morning and so is Charlie. I've invited Angelina; hopefully my brother over there would be brave enough to finally ask that girl Marie out." He pointed over at the other redheaded wizard in the room, whose ears were turning visibly scarlet by the minute.

"Well, congratulations on that successful presentation of yours." George tried to turn his attention away from his brother, "everybody is impressed. Just saw Sirius this morning. He was doing some shopping at Hogsmeade and I guess he wanted to come check out our new store. He said that Lupin would have been really proud of you if he was still alive. He also said Remus always knew you would change history after the war. Why do you think…"

Hermione could no longer hear what George was saying. His voice sounded as if it was coming from far away. She didn't realize it when Fred came back with Marie and all looked at her curiously. The twins said something else but she didn't hear a word. Before she knew it they waved good-bye and left.

"Guess what!" Marie, who was now standing right next to Hermione, looking extremely excited, "Fred just asked me out! He invited me to his parents' house for the Halloween party! You've got to tell me something about his family. What's his mum like? And his sister…."

"Sorry Marie. I've got to go." Hermione couldn't hear half of what Marie was saying, but being polite seemed to be the last of her concern. She grabbed her bag and ran out of the office.

Please… please let this all be a dream. Please let her see Remus again.

* * *

><p>When she emerged from her fireplace back to her apartment, her fear was confirmed. The apartment was just as quiet and lonely as she had remembered it from a couple weeks ago. She ran from one room to another, again and again, crying, calling his name. But he was not there. Not even any signs indicated that he had ever been in the apartment.<p>

As the night was finally fallen, Hermione sat in the dark by the fireplace. She closed her eyes and wished for his return. Maybe he would answer her wish again. Maybe this was all a terrible nightmare. But nothing happened, nothing changed. She lost him yet again. And he still did not know, just how much she loved him.

The crackle of the firewood and the wind thrashing at the window was the only sound Hermione could hear. The storm was coming back.

Desperate to feel close to him again, Hermione went to her bookshelf and ran her fingers over the few books of his. They were still as worn out as she remembered. Her heart broke a little as she recalled him reading her his favorite poem. She slowly pulled out the book, and just like what she had always remembered, the book naturally opened to the page where For Annie was. Yet to Hermione's great surprise, a brownish envelope fell straight out of the two pages as she opened the book.

With a wave of her hand, lights returned to the room. Hermione quickly walked over to the table to study the mysterious envelope. She had never seen this before.

There was no writing visible on the cover. To make it more peculiar, there was no opening to be found either. Hermione pulled out her wand and gave it a quick tab. A golden line of words emerged "How I long for the kiss with you in the past, from that very distant future".

She instantly knew who it was from. Fighting the lump in her throat, Hermione placed a gentle kiss on the envelope. The package immediately began to grow thicker, like a dry sponge dipped into water. The envelope opened itself gracefully, revealing a small stack of parchment, and a small golden locket that she knew so well.

With trembling hands, Hermione reached over and open the folded parchment on the very top. Remus' neat handwriting greeted her eyes, "Dear Hermione,"

Hermione wiped the tears with the back of her hand and began to read.

"_November 12, 1982_

_Dear Hermione,_

_I don't know why I am writing you this letter. As far as I know, you are just a baby. But how I wish I could talk to you again! It's been two weeks since I left you. I am so sorry that I had to leave you like that. I wish I could explain to you that this was the only choice we had. Somehow I had a feeling though, if I had told you then, you would for sure disagree._

_It was the best two weeks of my life being with you. But I could not enjoy it knowing my existence in your world would have altered the lives of so many others. And I want you to know, whatever happened because of my time traveling was absolutely not your fault. I saw the guilt in your eyes. I wouldn't be able to live seeing you with such sadness._

_Knowing I will be seeing you in the future will give me the reason and strength to live in the next ten years. I look forward to the day when I will see you again. We will start all over and will have all the time to ourselves. And I promise, I will never leave you again._

_Yours,_

_RJL"_

Hermione looked up towards the hallway, imagining seeing Remus walking out of his bedroom, smiling at her. But all there was, beyond the hallway, was complete darkness, and the sound of the raindrops brushing against the windowpanes.


	12. Chapter 12 Letters from the Past

**_The tone of this chapter will best be set by Nick Drake's Album "Time of No Reply". _**

**Chapter Twelve – Letters from the Past**

The winter wind had picked up its strength over this moonless night, bringing with it was simply more miserable rain. Sheets of water poured from the dark heavens, drowning out all the lights. The streets were merely visible. Lights from the buildings are scarce, as most residents considered such a night better to be asleep than awake. There was only one exception from Hermione's apartment. The lonely young witch sat quietly in the couch she got so use to sharing with Remus. The small stack of precious letters was the last thing that could get her close to him again. She was completely absorbed by the words from the distant past. Quietness surrounded her, with only a dutiful table lamp, glowing quietly by her side.

"_October 30, 1983_

_Dear Hermione,_

_I had never thought time could move so slowly. It had only been a year, barely. Not a single day that passed had I not thought of you. I really wish I could see you again soon. I want to talk to you. I need to talk to you! You probably will never see this letter. So I guess I am not really writing to you. But I need to have a way to communicate with you. This is the only thing I can do to keep my sanity._

_I know I am not supposed to change the future, but there was one thing I could not resist. I sent my patronus to Sirius shortly after I left you last year. The knowledge of him suffering in Azkaban, thinking all of his friends had betrayed him was killing me. I told him what I knew, and told him to wait for me to find Peter. That was my plan. I thought if I could get Peter, I could help clear Sirius' name at the Ministry. But he did not have the patience, that Sirius. He escaped before I could find Peter. It turned out to be such a disaster. I visited the Weasleys but they hadn't gotten a pet rat yet. He must still be out there somewhere. So Sirius is still a dangerous prisoner at large, wanted by both the wizardry and the muggle world. I guess it could be worse. At least I know he is free now. And I will see him in… god help me, in another ten years? _

_I wonder how you are doing Hermione. Well, you are probably just about three now? That just sounded so wrong…. I can't think any more… This is going to drive me crazy._

_Yours,_

_RJL"_

* * *

><p>"<em>October 30, 1989<em>

_Dear Hermione,_

_I miss you terribly. It had only been seven years. _

_I thought about our last morning together a lot recently. I should have told you Hermione. I should have told you that I love you. I was just too afraid you could not return the same feelings. Forgive me Hermione. Someday I will be able to tell you that in person, someday._

_Yours,_

_Remus"_

* * *

><p>"<em>January 4, 1993<em>

_Dear Hermione,_

_Those had been some really long ten years. If I recall what you told me correctly, I should be receiving Dumbledore's letter soon about teaching at Hogwarts this September. I will see you soon Hermione! That is the day I have been waiting for all these years! _

_I thought about us almost every day. We never had a chance to talk about our relationship when we were together in those two short weeks. You told me we were friends in your time. Dare I dream to have more between us someday? _

_I miss you Hermione, so very much. Knowing that I will see you soon makes me smile. _

_Yours,_

_Remus"_

Hermione smiled as she remembered fondly when she first met Remus Lupin, the powerful professor that rescued them from the dementors. A couple of tear drops fell on the back of her hand as she smiled. She quickly brushed them away and picked up the next letter.

"_December 12, 1993_

_Dear Hermione,_

_How should I begin.… It has been amazing to see you again! You are as beautiful as I remembered, but so much younger. I know this is you but it is also not. You are still a child Hermione. It is not right for me to even think of you like that._

_I always knew you were smart. But as your professor (it still feels strange when you call me that), I have been really impressed by how clever you are! You are the smarted young witch I have ever met! _

_We had a couple of full moons already, and Severus had assigned the essay about werewolves when he sat in for my classes. I know you knew. But just as you told me, you have been just as relaxed around me as you always have. That means a lot to me Hermione. Thank you._

_You are doing great keeping those two boys staying focus. It has been fun watching you telling them what to do. Now I see where you got your practice. I might have forgotten to mention, I do miss your telling me what to do sometimes. _

_Yours,_

_Remus"_

Hermione chuckled at the last few sentences. More tears fell but she was in no hurry to dry them. She could vividly remember the curious glace she received from the gentle and kind Professor Lupin. She always had wondered why she had such a terrible crush on him. And now that she thought about it, she realized, maybe she was not imagining the chemistry!

"_June 18, 1996_

_My Dearest Hermione,_

_That was a terrible scare! Either we somehow had changed the future, or you didn't tell me everything that happened during the war. Why didn't you tell me that you were hurt during the battle of the Department of Mysteries! It was too late when I got to your side. For a second I thought I had lost you! I wish I knew Hermione! Or were you not hurt in your world? I am very concerned. _

_The war had officially started. All I want now is for you to be safe. I NEED you to be safe!_

_On a brighter note, Sirius lives. He is a big boy and he will take care of himself. But you Hermione… I wish there was a way to let me stay by your side at all times. I need to make sure you are safe. I won't be able to live if anything happens to you. Please, be safe, for me…._

_Yours, _

_Remus"_

* * *

><p>"<em>May 31, 1997<em>

_Dear Hermione,_

_Time can do such wonder. You have grown up so fast! I can clearly see the Hermione that I always remember now. You are beautiful. I love our little walks and chats this summer. Talking to you always put me to ease. Being with you allows me to think beyond the war. You give me hope._

_I know I had promised we will start all over when I meet you again and that we will have all the time to ourselves. Believe me, I wish I could just go to you tonight and tell you how much I love you. _

_But I can't Hermione. I shouldn't. You are just starting your life. I see a bright future ahead of you. The world is in your hands. But I, on the other hand, am getting old. I am no longer the twenty-two-year-old lad you met. And looking at the world around us, I sometimes wonder if people's opinions would ever change about werewolves. Maybe they are nicer in your world. But I have doubts. I will become your burden Hermione. I won't make you happy. And I want you to be happy._

_I should keep my love for you only to myself. That is only the right thing to do. I will try my best not get myself killed. Then maybe at least you will still accept me as your friend when the war is over. _

_Please forgive me Hermione. I just want you to be happy, because I love you._

_Yours,_

_Remus"_

Hands trembling, Hermione let out a quiet sob. If he had known, if he had only the slightest idea how she felt during those dreadful days…. Then at the bottom of the stack, lies the last piece of parchment.

"_April 20, 1998_

_My Dearest Hermione,_

_May Lord give me strength to destroy these letters. I hate myself for keeping them. But somehow, destroying these memories makes me feel like you would forever disappear from my life. It is an unbearable thought that I will have to live without ever holding you again, kissing you again._

_I saw those glances in your eyes recently. Now I understand. I finally understand why you wanted to see me again with the time turner. You must be wondering if I had any feelings for you. It is my fault. I should have controlled myself better. It pains me to look away when you look at me like that. I don't know what to do Hermione. I love you, I still do after so many years. Time did not fade my feelings for you. I love you more than ever. _

_The war has been brutal. Many people, good people, died. Sometimes I feel so hopeless about the future, because all I can see in my future, is the one without you. _

_I hope someday I will have the strength to burn these letters, remove them from my memory, and just be there for you as a friend, whenever you need me. I will always be there for your Hermione, because I will always love you._

_Yours forever,_

_Remus Lupin"_

"No you don't understand!" Hermione cried. She could no longer hold back her emotions. "No! I didn't need to know your feelings towards me. I love you Remus, don't you understand! I love you!" She could no longer see the words in front of her. Tears blurred the world around her. She was swallowed by the darkness. Thunder broke in the distance. Tears from the heavens soon drowned the sob of the heartbroken young witch.

In a far corner of the room, lying on the table, the golden locket let out a deem glow, radiating the only warmth in this dark cold night.

* * *

><p><em><strong>For Annie<br>****by Edgar Allan Poe**_

Thank Heaven! the crisis-  
>The danger is past,<br>And the lingering illness  
>Is over at last-<br>And the fever called "Living"  
>Is conquered at last.<p>

Sadly, I know  
>I am shorn of my strength,<br>And no muscle I move  
>As I lie at full length-<br>But no matter!-I feel  
>I am better at length.<p>

And I rest so composedly,  
>Now, in my bed<br>That any beholder  
>Might fancy me dead-<br>Might start at beholding me,  
>Thinking me dead.<p>

The moaning and groaning,  
>The sighing and sobbing,<br>Are quieted now,  
>With that horrible throbbing<br>At heart:–ah, that horrible,  
>Horrible throbbing!<p>

The sickness–the nausea-  
>The pitiless pain-<br>Have ceased, with the fever  
>That maddened my brain-<br>With the fever called "Living"  
>That burned in my brain.<p>

And oh! of all tortures  
>That torture the worst<br>Has abated–the terrible  
>Torture of thirst<br>For the naphthaline river  
>Of Passion accurst:-<br>I have drunk of a water  
>That quenches all thirst:-<p>

Of a water that flows,  
>With a lullaby sound,<br>From a spring but a very few  
>Feet under ground-<br>From a cavern not very far  
>Down under ground.<p>

And ah! let it never  
>Be foolishly said<br>That my room it is gloomy  
>And narrow my bed;<br>For man never slept  
>In a different bed-<br>And, to sleep, you must slumber  
>In just such a bed.<p>

My tantalized spirit  
>Here blandly reposes,<br>Forgetting, or never  
>Regretting its roses-<br>Its old agitations  
>Of myrtles and roses:<p>

For now, while so quietly  
>Lying, it fancies<br>A holier odor  
>About it, of pansies-<br>A rosemary odor,  
>Commingled with pansies-<br>With rue and the beautiful  
>Puritan pansies.<p>

And so it lies happily,  
>Bathing in many<br>A dream of the truth  
>And the beauty of Annie-<br>Drowned in a bath  
>Of the tresses of Annie.<p>

She tenderly kissed me,  
>She fondly caressed,<br>And then I fell gently  
>To sleep on her breast-<br>Deeply to sleep  
>From the heaven of her breast.<p>

When the light was extinguished,  
>She covered me warm,<br>And she prayed to the angels  
>To keep me from harm-<br>To the queen of the angels  
>To shield me from harm.<p>

And I lie so composedly,  
>Now, in my bed,<br>(Knowing her love)  
>That you fancy me dead-<br>And I rest so contentedly,  
>Now, in my bed,<br>(With her love at my breast)  
>That you fancy me dead-<br>That you shudder to look at me,  
>Thinking me dead.<p>

But my heart it is brighter  
>Than all of the many<br>Stars in the sky,  
>For it sparkles with Annie-<br>It glows with the light  
>Of the love of my Annie-<br>With the thought of the light  
>Of the eyes of my Annie.<p> 


	13. Chapter 13 An Alternative

**Chapter Thirteen – an Alternative**

_**February 29, 1984**_

Remus Lupin considered it a fortunate situation for him that the muggles didn't use owls or other magical means for delivery services. Because of the importance that the muggles had granted the in-person delivery of important items, such as documents, packets, or gifts, Remus found himself a special niche working temporary jobs as a delivery boy for muggle companies. Although he still searched for other longer term opportunities in the wizard community, he felt a relief that these temporary jobs provided him with minimum means to get by.

A few months ago he stumbled upon an opening working for a florist in central London. It was quite a large operation. The company hired about forty to fifty delivery boys and girls at any given time throughout the year. Most of these jobs were filled by college students. Because of the high staff turnover rate, and the college students' constant changing class schedules and party schedules, the company found itself having to arrange staff schedules almost weekly. This was to Remus' great advantage. Nobody was interested, or stayed there long enough, to figure out a pattern of the days that he requested to be off.

This particular morning, Remus' first delivery assignment was to deliver a gigantic bouquet of assorted flowers, completed with a beautiful crystal vase, to a couple simply addressed as "Monica and Wendell". When he carried the extravagant display of pink and white carnations, red and yellow roses, purple lavenders, and yellow daisies down the street, many looked at the assortment admiringly.

"Whoever sent these flowers either loves this couple dearly, or needs to make a big apology." Remus smiled internally.

He stopped dead in front of the building bearing the address of his destination. Right next to the front door, golden letters carved neatly on the glass window, "Grangers' Family Dentistry".

This couldn't be her family, could it? He wasn't sure. Just how many Grangers in London were dentists? Then he laughed at himself, who said Monica and Wendell were the Grangers anyway?

His delivery made a great impression on the two girls working at the front desk. They gasped in excitement as he entered the small but neatly arranged waiting room.

"Is this the right address for Monica and Wendell?" He asked.

"Yes! Dr. Granger and Dr. Granger that is!" One girl answered enthusiastically. Remus' heart skipped a beat upon hearing her declaration.

Remus watched as the two girls carefully carried the flowers into the back of the office. Suddenly, he felt a small hand tugging on the bottom of his shirt. He looked down, and found a pair of beautiful blue eyes looking up at him.

It was a small girl, about four or five years old. She had bushy brown hair and a cute round face. Could this be Hermione? Remus suddenly felt it hard to breath. Something about her however didn't seem right. Those clear blue eyes….

"Are you a patient?" She asked.

"No, I'm not." Remus knelt down so that he could be as tall as she was.

"Good, so I can talk to you. Mum and dad said that I shouldn't bother their patients."

Remus smiled widely. This little girl might not be Hermione, but she definitely was just as sharp.

"Do you believe in witches and wizards?" The little girl looked at Remus straight in the eye and asked in a serious manner.

"Why? Yes I think so. But why do you ask?" Remus was taken by surprise.

"A witch came to my room last night and told me that I was the luckiest girl because I have the best parents in the world. She told me she was a witch! Can you believe that? But when I asked her to stay and play with me, she said she had to leave because she needed to see her wizard friend. Mum said I was dreaming." The little girl made a pouty face.

Remus frowned slightly, not sure what to make of the story. Then he smiled at the child, "even if it was just a dream, it was a nice one, wasn't it?"

The little girl nodded. But before she could answer, a woman's voice came from the back of the office, "sweetheart, are you bothering that gentleman?"

Remus looked up and saw a young woman in a white lab coat walking towards them, smiling apologetically.

"Sorry," she said, "we have a chatty little one."

"Not at all. She is a very smart girl!" Remus answered and smiled brightly back at the woman, who he quickly decided must be Monica.

"I was hoping to ask you," she began, "do you happen to know who sent these flowers?"

"Sorry I don't." Remus looked the woman curiously, "I would think the person left a note? The order was either placed through the telephone or in the store. And I only work in the back of the store."

"I see…" Monica looked down at a card in her hand, "there was a note, but it only said _for the world's best parents_. There were no signatures or anything else. You are sure they came to the right address?"

Remus nodded slowly, feeling a little light headed. The little hand tugged on the corner of his shirt again.

"The flowers are from her!" The little girl whispered, "she did say I have the best parents in the world!"

Remus looked at the little girl in front of him in disbelief. He wasn't sure what to make out of this.

"Oh leave the poor gentleman alone Ophelia!" Monica called the girl back behind the counter. "Sorry again… And thanks so much for bringing the flowers over!"

Remus murmured a quiet "you're welcome" and quickly left the small office. Ophelia? What happened to Hermione?

He replayed the encounter in his head again and again throughout the day, trying to work out an answer to the endless questions in his mind. By the end of his shift, he had decided that he simply missed her too much. There were lots of dentists in central London. Maybe half a dozen of them had the same last name, and quite a few might had a smart little girl who just dreamed about a witch.

Spring came early this year. Wild flowers were already blooming in the fields. Lately Remus had been choosing walking home the long way over apparating. First of all, there was no reason to rush home. Moreover, he could always use a little distraction from his lonely days. The sun setting in the beautifully decorated fields always put him in a good mood.

As he walked down the country lane, the sun had already half way hidden behind the trees, leaving the last bit of warmth radiating through its orange glow. Remus soon found another source of warm light, coming from the kitchen window of his little cottage.

He hurried through the path through his garden and stopped at his own front door. He put his ear to the door and listened. There was nothing. But a delicious scent of lasagna and muffins reached his nose.

He swung open the door and there she was, sitting by the kitchen table, reading one of his favorite books, smiling at him.

"Hi," She said, lights dancing in her eyes, "It's been a long time."


	14. Chapter 14 Hermione's Decisions

**Chapter Fourteen – Hermione's Decisions  
><strong>

_**February 29, 1984**_

"Hi, it's been a long time." Hermione smiled gently at the young wizard standing in front of her.

Before she could move one single step, she found herself wrapped tightly in Remus' strong arms.

"Is it really you Hermione?" Hermione's knees weakened as she heard his raspy voice whispered in her ears.

"Yes Remus, it's me. It's me…" Blinking away her tears, Hermione took a deep breath, and remembered the day after she read his letters…

* * *

><p><strong><em>Flash back (or forward, depending on how you interpret the concept of time) to October 31, 2002<em>**

"Good morning Hermione! Fancy seeing you so early!" Sirius Black greeted Hermione cheerfully on the doorsteps of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, "I thought I would see you at the party tonight but..."

Sirius stopped in mid-sentence as he paid more attention to her face, "have you been crying? Come on in!"

Hermione nodded without a word and followed Sirius quietly into his living-room. She was still getting over the fact that Sirius was alive, and recovering from the realization that Remus had returned to the past, and changed its future. For some reason after she read Remus' letters the night before, the first person she could think of was Sirius, Remus' best friend. Hermione was convinced that if anyone knew more about Remus life after he left her, it would have been Sirius.

Watching her with great concern, Sirius offered Hermione a cup coffee. He waited patiently for a while and finally asked gently, "do you want to tell me what happened Hermione?"

Barely audible, she said, "I found his letters."

"Letters?"

"Letters from Remus." Her words full of sadness.

"Ah… I see." Sirius nodded, suddenly seemed to grasp the entire situation.

"You knew?" Hermione narrowed her eyes and looked up at him curiously. She wasn't sure how much Remus had share with his best friend about what happened between the two of them.

"Yes I did. I also promised him I would not say a word about it." Sirius let out a sigh, "but…" he looked up, eyes twinkling, "I didn't say anything about showing it to you."

Sirius got up and gestured her to follow him. They came into his study, from the top of a very old bookshelf, he pulled out a large stone basin, which Hermione immediately recognized as a pensieve. Sirius gently set the pensieve down on his desk, pulled out his wand, touched his temple with the tip of the wand and pulled out a silvery substance. He then dropped it into the basin, and poked it gently with his wand.

"This is what he told me." Sirius gestured towards the basin and stepped aside.

Hesitantly Hermione walked next to the pensieve. She looked carefully into the center of the silvery cloud in the basin, and instantly felt the world swirling around her. She closed her eyes and braced herself. Seconds later, her feet were firmly on the ground again.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself standing by the windows in a quiet room. It was a moonless night. The only thing she could hear was the frogs croaking in the distant fields. Not far from the windows, a lamp on a table was giving out a silent glow. A man with greying brown hair sat behind the table, with his face buried in his hands.

Remus! Hermione felt a sudden pain in her chest. She quickly walked over to him. But right before she reached out to touch his shoulders, she realized she was in Sirius' memories. No matter what she did, Remus would not see or feel her. Saddened by the reality, Hermione looked over his shoulders and saw the letter that he had just finished. The words looked painfully familiar, "_I will always be there for your Hermione, because I will always love you._"

Both Hermione and Remus jumped when a soft knock on the door interrupted the quietness. Hermione watched as Remus quickly folded the letter, before pulling out his wand and walked over to the door. "Who is it?" He asked in a low voice.

"It's me Moony. Open the door." Sirius answered in an equally quiet low voice.

Remus opened the door and there stood Sirius, beaming at Remus, holding a case of butterbeer under his arms.

"What are you doing here?" Remus asked surprisingly.

"What? What am I… Well is it okay that I come and visit an old friend?" Sirius chuckled and pushed Remus aside as he made his way into the small cottage. "Didn't the Ministry clear my name long ago? Am I allowed to ever leave that big old house?"

"Of course Padfoot. It's just that isn't it kind of late and with the war going on and… I thought..." Remus watched in amusement as Sirius made himself comfortable on the couch.

"Right, you thought, Mr. Prefect… you thought we should all listen to good old Dumbledore and stay home after dark, like all the well-behaved school children." Sirius handed Remus a butterbeer and leaned back into the couch.

"There is nothing wrong with being a little cautious these days." Remus took the drink from Sirius and settled down in a chair close by.

"I have been too cautious these days." Sirius took a sip of his butterbeer and looked at Remus, "I have been spending too much time following orders and have been ignoring the well being of my friend. What's going on with you Moony?"

"What do you mean?" Remus stared back with an innocent look on his face.

"Merlin! Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?" Sirius shook his head, "I haven't looked at you properly until at the Order meeting last night. You look terrible! What have you done to yourself, mate?"

Sirius' comments turned Hermione's attention to Remus. If she understood it correctly, this had to be sometime in the early summer of 1998. Remus looked much older than the last time she saw him, when he was still in his twenties. He was not too different from how she remembered him during the war. He looked thin and tired in his shabby jacket. There was much more grey in his hair, and his handsome face looked exhausted. However, it was his eyes that were haunting her. They looked hollowed and gloomy, weary and depressed.

"There is nothing wrong with me." Remus murmured, "probably just the full moon."

"You can't fool me Moony." Sirius waved his free hand at his friend, "I've known you for too long. And after all those full moons I spent with you? No way, this had nothing to do with the moon!" Sirius took a long drink, and spoke with great confidence, "you, my friend, are love sick!"

Sirius couldn't hold back his smirk as Remus' face slowly turned pink.

"I recognize those symptoms of yours Moony. James had it bad before Lily finally agreed to go out with him." Sirius went on with a softened tone, trying to encourage the conversation, "so tell me, who is she? Do I know her?"

Remus let out a heavy sigh. After a long pause, he answered, "Yes, as a matter of fact, you do know her. It's Hermione. I can't keep her out of my mind."

"Granger?" Sirius sounded very surprised. "Wow, I didn't see that coming. You did spend quite a bit of time together last summer I guess." He thought for a while and asked, "Did you ask her out? Did you tell her how you feel about her?"

"No!" Remus answered immediately, "I can't do that. I shouldn't. I am too old for her. She has a great future ahead of her. I'm a werewolf for Merlin's sake! I can't be her burden. You know all the reasons!"

It was an uncomfortable silence. "Well, Moony, if I didn't know you better, I would have tried to convince you to talk to her about it. But I know I would be wasting my breath. So fine, you can't have her. So here is another solution. And I'm speaking from experience." Sirius offered with a big smile, "You can't be having these feelings for that long, and a little crush can be easily cured. Let me introduce you to a couple of lady friends. You will forget about her before you know it…"

"No you don't understand!" Remus shook his head, sounding annoyed, "I have been in love with her for too long."

"Oh come on Moony," Sirius laughed, "how can that possibly be? You call a few months too long?"

"What made you think it's a few months? It's been over ten years Padfoot."

Hermione watched Sirius' eyes widened, his mouth opened and closed, finally he said, "Moony! That is sick! Over ten years? She was a child when you…"

"Oh no, nothing like that!" Remus laughed uneasily. "You are terrible Padfoot. Alright I will tell you. But you will have to promise that you will never say a word about this conversation to anyone. Otherwise I will have to erase your memory." Remus pointed to his wand in his pocket as he spoke.

"I will not let you touch my head, thank you very much." Sirius answered, "Alright I promise I won't say a word. So tell me what's going on."

Hermione watched as Sirius listened quietly. Remus told his best friend the day when he first met Hermione Granger on that special day in the future, their two weeks together, and her success with her career. He told Sirius the loss of her friends because of his own journey through time.

"You can't be serious!" Sirius exclaimed after Remus finally finished his story.

"Of course I'm not. You are the one and only Sirius." Remus chuckled. Remembering the time he spent with Hermione seemed to have lightened up his mood.

"Oh get a grip. You know what I mean. But there has to be a way to get you back together right?"

"There is no other way Padfoot." Remus sighed, "She will have a very bright future. And her future doesn't include me."

"But how do you know that she won't be in love with you? The Hermione from the future?" Sirius asked, "what was she going to do after you ran out of her life like you did?"

"I am not sure if that future even exists." Remus' brows furrowed, lost in thought. "It was one single wish that connected us at the first place. I doubt the wish could be powerful enough to connect us through multiple timelines."

"So let's pretend that it does Lupin," Sirius sat up straight and looked at his friend sincerely, "tell me what you would do if this Hermione Granger that you met in the future is standing here right now, in this room, telling you that she wants you. What would you do?"

Hermione watched Remus intently. She was confused by the mixed emotions in his eyes. After thinking for a long moment, he finally said, "I will have to lie to her, because telling her that I love her would only hurt her more. She will have to leave this timeline, because there cannot be two version of the same person exist in the same time. I cannot leave with her, because me leaving my own timeline only means more deaths and who knows what other terrible outcome." Remus took another deep breath, as if trying to ease the pain that was preventing him from speaking, "I will have to lie Padfoot, and tell her that I don't feel that way about her."

The two friends sat in silence as Hermione watched. Tear drops rolled down her cheeks when a strong hand finally pulled her out of the room and back to Sirius Black's study.

"Thank you Sirius." Hermione wiped her tears and sat down by the desk.

"Ever since Remus died in the war, I have never doubted for a moment that this day will come Hermione, that you will be sitting in front of me asking about him." Sirius said gently, "Remus was probably right though. It would be very difficult to change what had happened. There had to be a lot more powerful magic involved and I can't say I know much about it. But, I am also not the smartest witch of her time."

He paused and studied Hermione for a moment. Then, with a mischievous smile in his eyes, he said, "I am not going to ask you what you decide to do. Just remember, certain things cannot be changed, such as the prophecy; and there are always other ways to solve one problem, and I have heard that the leap year is just the time to do it."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Back to February 29, 1984<strong>_

For the entire evening Remus Lupin was constantly by Hermione's side, as if worrying that she would disappear when he was not paying attention. When they finally finished dinner and settled down in the sofa, he held her in his arms while placing gentle kisses on her soft brown curls. After sitting in a comfortable silence for a while, he finally sighed and asked, "so, when do you need to go back home?"

Hermione turned and looked at him straight in the eye and smiled, "I'm not going anywhere Remus. I _AM_ home as long as I'm with you."

"But... your future! Your work, your career, it had just started!" Remus raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"It means nothing to me if you are not there Remus. I can still make that happen, with you, in this life time." Hermione smiled.

"What about your friends? Harry? Ron?" He frowned.

"Well I actually think that I can help Harry more this way. With Sirius on the run, maybe we can talk to Harry's aunt and uncle as his parents' friends, and maybe, with some help from Dumbledore, we can have him over every summer to stay away from the Dursleys for a change." Hermione explained calmly as if she was prepared to answer all these questions from him. "And we will both be there to help Harry and Ron, when they are older, when they are in Hogwarts."

"And your family?"

"Oh Remus, if I didn't know better, I would have been really frustrated by your thoroughness. I did a little bit of research… well okay, quite a bit, on this, and found a solution. You see, when I realized that the only way to settle this circular time traveling problem was to terminate all the other alternative timelines, my only regret was seeing my parents without a child. But I have that taken cared of as well, with a little bit of magic of course."

Remus stared at Hermione, suddenly remembered the large bouquet that he delivered in the morning and the little girl with clear blue eyes.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked.

"Oh yes Remus. You are running out of excuses. So please stop looking for reasons for me to leave!" She placed a gentle kiss on his lips and looked at him with a widening smile.

"Yes ma'am." He held her close once more and murmured, "Merlin knows I can never argue with you."

"And mister," Hermione suddenly broke his embrace and looked straight into his eyes, "you've got it wrong."

"Got what wrong Hermione?" surprised by her declaration, Remus was not sure what he had done to offend her.

"Well sorry... technically you haven't gotten it wrong, yet. But you will! If I don't tell you now, you may... you may get it wrong in the future."

Remus stared at the blabbering witch in front of him in amusement.

"In the other timeline, well, you thought the reason why I wanted to see you again with the time turner was because I was wondering if you had any feelings for me." Hermione said the whole sentence with one single breath, "but the reality is," she paused and looked at Remus with her beautiful honey brown eyes, "the reality is that I am in love with YOU Remus. I love you!"

"I love you too Hermione!" Remus smiled as tears welled up in his eyes. "I love you Hermione! You have no idea how much I love you!" He gather her in his tight embrace one more time and whispered in her ears.

"Oh yes, I think I know..." was all Hermione said in reply.


	15. Chapter 15 Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_**October 31, 2002**_

"What other decorations does Master want Kreature to put up next?" the house elf bowed deeply into his toes towards Sirius Black, who was in a casual conversation with Remus Lupin in a corner of the ballroom at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

"Oh my dear friend Kreature, you did a fantastic job and I really can't think of anything else that can make this Halloween party more perfect!" Sirius declared loudly as if trying to announce his reply to the entire room. Then he lowered his voice and said to the house elf urgently, "for Merlin's sake, stop calling me Master before Mrs. Lupin over there hears you and hits me in the head! Now I know you don't want to be here. Why don't you go somewhere you like to be and have some fun!"

The house elf ignored the chuckles from Remus and looked at Sirius deviously, before disappearing with a loud crack.

"The passion of your lovely wife intimidates me sometimes." Sirius winked at his old friend and turned to look at Hermione, who was chatting happily with Ginny, Lavender, Fleur, and Molly by the fireplace.

"She's perfect, isn't she?" Remus smiled and raised his butterbeer towards Hermione, who just turned to look their way.

"Did I hear my name mentioned by the handsome aurors over here?" Hermione walked across the room and slid arm hand casually into Remus'.

Remus pulled Hermione into a half embrace and kissed her gently on her lips.

"Oh please you two," Sirius growled, "don't act as if you are a couple of newly-weds in front of me. You've been married for how long now? ..."

"Long enough to have a couple of little Lupins ready to graduate from Hogwarts." It was Harry who finished Sirius' sentence.

"Right, you tell them Harry. I am tired of seeing these two love birds defining romantic relationships in front of me. Who could have guessed Moony would become such a romantic. And how on earth do you get to look younger than me Moony!"

"All thanks to the wolfsbane potion brewed by my talented wife of course!" Remus smiled gently at Hermione.

"Arghh there they go again! Based on the historic records, I should definitely be the master in the art of romance, not him!" Sirius pretended to sound hurt.

Before Harry could respond, they heard Ginny yelling and running the hall chasing his brothers, "you don't play tricks on me Fred, George, Ron!"

"uh-oh, I better stop my pregnant wife before she hurts anyone." Harry hurried after her, leaving Sirius, Remus and Hermione watch in amusement.

"It's a great party, Master of Romance!" Remus smirked at his best friend.

Before Sirius could come up with a proper retaliation, the front door opened and in came Arthur, Bill, and a tall blond girl behind them.

"Hello there! Sorry we are late. That was some paperwork at the Ministry this afternoon!" Arthur smiled brightly when he saw Sirius, "Ah Sirius, you do remember Katelyn? You met at the Christmas party at our place last year? Bill and I dragged her along after hearing that she didn't have any plans tonight. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not! I remember seeing you just this summer at the Ministry's gathering Kate. Welcome!" Sirius happily walked towards his newly arrived guests. "Can I get you something to drink..."

"You think he'd have a chance with her?" Remus asked Hermione.

"I'm pretty sure about that." Hermione replied with a smile, "She was asking me about Sirius quite a few times since our last Ministry event. I think she was quite taken by him..."

The evening was filled with laughter and cheers. When everyone followed Sirius and Katelyn's lead to the dance floor, Remus and Hermione retreated to the study.

It was quiet and dark in the room. Hermione leaned against her husband by the window, while Remus wrapped his arms around her.

"Do you remember what day this is?" She asked quietly.

"Hmmm... It's not the first day when I traveled twenty years to meet you. It's not the day when you traveled twenty years to find me. What is it my love?" Remus asked after a few moments.

"I think this is officially the first day after our mutual wish brought us through all those different timelines. So is this a new beginning in a way?" Hermione whispered.

"You are the best thing I could ever wish for Hermione. It's a new beginning for me everyday, as long as you are by my side." Remus slowly turned Hermione to face him. He then leaned into her and kissed her as they did many years ago, when they were in her apartment, cuddling up by the fireplace, reading their favorite books, enjoying each others' company... Certain things would never change.

In the not very far distant field, a snow owl hooted happily, before spreading his gleaming wings, and disappeared into the starry night.

~The End

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><p><strong><em>Thank you all for reading! This is my second attempt to write anything that is remotely fictional. I appreciate your reviews so please leave me a note!<em>**

**_Christina_**


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